Preview: Nine Months
by dillpops
Summary: Four months since returning from Gaea, and Hitomi unfortunately seems to be sick, but is she actually sick? For the sickness also seems to be accompanied by a loss of ‘cycles’… preview of a future story. COMPLETED: 07-03-04
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the story, this is kind of a preview/taster thing and I was just seeing what the reaction was, enjoy! Note: contains talk about female bodily functions ^^;;; This is a rewritten chapter too from the first published one so if you've already read it then there are a few changes!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, it would be sooooo cool if I did though  
  
* * *  
  
"Hitomi are you alright in there?"  
  
Hitomi slung her head up from the bowl and cried wretchedly "Yeah, mom, just a little bit of sick, must be the weather"  
  
"Well, if you're sure"  
  
Hitomi heard her mother walk away down the hall and call the school; she was having another sick day after all.  
  
The bathroom seemed to be her permanent residence these days; Hitomi leant on her arm next to the toilet and wiped the sweat away from her forehead, looking at the calendar strewn across the floor.  
  
Four months since she'd returned from Gaea, four months since she'd been home and everything seemed to be going all right, better than she'd expected. Amano had left, and she hadn't been as sad as Yukari although she did miss him, but she wrote to him as did Yukari and had known for a while that they'd eventually gotten it together, Hitomi didn't mind at all, it was great Yukari could actually talk to her again after she'd hidden her feelings for Amano for so long.  
  
Hitomi had carried on with track and had even won a medal a few weeks after returning from Gaea at a competition, her grades were up and she'd been given a whole new outlook on life after her experiences on the other world. Van had shown up twice, once at the railway station and once from a far away building, they hadn't talked but they both got the jist of the others feelings anyway. It was fine with her to see him just like that because it made her feel warm when she saw him, even at that distance.  
  
Yes it was going well, at least, it had been going well until she'd noticed the calendar.  
  
It was just a calendar but it was the one she marked her periods on every month before she'd gone to Gaea, it was like a tradition since they'd started, Hitomi didn't know why she did it but the red marker made her feel that she was in control over them and not the other way around.  
  
She hadn't even noticed it until this morning.  
  
About three weeks ago she'd been getting nauseous in the morning but she'd put it down to nerves about an upcoming track competition. Yesterday morning after throwing up her mother had joked that maybe it was morning sickness. This morning Hitomi was worried.  
  
It had been a joke, her mother wasn't serious, and Hitomi hadn't taken any notice at all but to laugh with her mother and go to school in the afternoon. But she'd woken up this morning with a horrible feeling and had gone looking for the calendar. It was in the place she'd left it and Hitomi almost wished it hadn't been.  
  
Taking out a red marker, she'd filled in the dates missing with trembling fingers, week one, week two, week, three, week four. One in Gaea, week one, and week two, week three, week four...  
  
Hitomi hadn't bothered to wait to see week four, but took the calendar with her into the bathroom as her stomach revolted again.  
  
Now she was counting through again, making sure, hoping against hope, and trying to remember. It was impossible that there hadn't been one. She had to try and remember...but she couldn't.  
  
Hitomi took the pen and sliced a red line through the month and turned to the next page. It hadn't come then either, Hitomi wiped her eyes again to draw another line through it and then turned to the next month, last month, and sliced another red line through it.   
  
If it didn't come this month then that was it, four months without a period...four months. Hitomi let her eyes water, there was nothing wrong with being afraid, and it was normal in these sorts of situations. She gulped, hopefully there wasn't a situation and she was being stupid.  
  
She thought hard trying to double check something she'd double-checked over and over again that same morning. With all the track competitions and exams she hadn't noticed that she'd skipped her monthlies until today.  
  
With this strange sickness too...Hitomi dreaded the thought of what it could be and got up, tipping the pages of the calendar into the bin to hide them and opened the bathroom door.  
  
Mamoru stood in the hall.   
  
"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, eyeing her red eyes and the mess the bathroom was in   
  
"Yes" Hitomi snapped, "Mind your own business"  
  
Mamoru shrugged and went into his room.  
  
Hitomi waited till she heard the computer going and then dashed down the stairs into the kitchen where her mother was making breakfast. She stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do and then went in.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" her mother asked, twisting the dial on the toaster  
  
"Uh...yeah. Hey mom" Hitomi said suddenly "What can cause you to skip periods?"  
  
Her mother stared for a moment; it wasn't something they usually talked about at home, "Why?"  
  
Hitomi jumped and replied breezily, "I just wondered" she folded her arms "That's all"  
  
"Well" her mother thought for a moment then put down the knife to answer "It can be stress, not eating right, a number of reasons really. Oh yes, pregnancy of course, when I had you I went for about three of four months before realizing. Does that answer your question?"  
  
"Oh, well, thanks, really" Hitomi stood there, the timings were about right then...  
  
"Have you been skipping periods Hitomi?" her mother asked, concerned, turning away from the toaster to look her daughter up and down  
  
Hitomi stepped back "Me? No, I was just asking"  
  
Her mother moved forward "Hitomi you'd tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you?"   
  
"Of course, mom!" hitomi said with a quick wave of her hand, and shot out the back door "Be back later!"  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"So you're going back to the Mystic Moon?"   
  
* * * * * *  
  
She stared at the door, what would it take to go in and ask for one? Hitomi paced the door of the Pharmacy and then sat down on a bench outside with a sigh instead. It was her age that was the problem with asking.  
  
Pregnancy, how could it be possible? This was why you had sex ed classes. Why didn't she listen? It was such a stupid situation to get into.  
  
Because you thought it wouldn't happen to you, a voice in side her head whispered, you thought that the first time wouldn't make any difference even though you knew all the risks.  
  
"You're right" Hitomi sighed, feeling disgusted with herself "One time and it all falls down"  
  
"So who was it?"  
  
Hitomi yelped and jumped out of skin, Yukari giggled and threw herself down on the bench next to Hitomi.  
  
"W-w-what?" Hitomi stammered, going red to the roots of her hair, where had Yukari come from?  
  
Yukari grinned, "Just walking home from the gym" as if to answer Hitomi's mental question "When I see who else but Miss Hitomi Kanzaki looking like the world has fallen down on her head. And I say to myself, it must be a guy"  
  
Hitomi smiled dejectedly, how could Yukari speak to her heart so clearly and so easily?  
  
"Yeah" Hitomi said  
  
"What's up then, old chum?" Yukari said easily, settling herself down for a tale of woe  
  
Hitomi thought for moment, Yukari wasn't easily embarrassed, and so then an idea struck Hitomi on the head. She leaned forward and grabbed Yukari's hands.  
  
"Yukari would you do me a HUGE favour?" Hitomi asked  
  
Yukari looked surprised then said, "Sure, want me to beat this guy's brains out?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that" Hitomi replied, "I'd like you to go and buy me something from in there" she pointed toward the shop door  
  
"Um...ok, sure, why not?" Yukari shrugged and stood up while Hitomi dug cash out her pockets for her friend "What do you want me to get?"  
  
Hitomi paused and looked at the ground "A..." she mumbled  
  
"What was that?" Yukari leaned in to get a better hearing  
  
"A pregnancy test" Hitomi's words were spoken so quietly it was almost like she hadn't even used her voice and only breathed the words   
  
Yukari stared, had she heard correctly? Hitomi looked so upset and embarrassed that she almost believed her. Yet it couldn't be true.  
  
"You're kidding right?"  
  
Hitomi shook her head and didn't say anything.  
  
Yukari stared even more, then turned away with an "Alright...but you have a LOT of explaining to do missy when I come back"  
  
Yukari marched off and threw open the door of the shop, leaving Hitomi with nothing but worry.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Well?" Yukari's voice rang through the wood of the bathroom door, "Come on out, either tell me what colour it is or what the hell is going on Hitomi Kanzaki! I'd prefer to hear both!"  
  
Hitomi didn't open the door, just leant against it, timing the test.  
  
"Let it be ok, let it be ok" she chanted under her breath, waiting for the result.  
  
It was beginning to change...  
  
* * *  
  
Well, what do you think? This is kind of a preview/taster thing to see what the reaction is to it, I just thought a lot of people make Hitomi pregnant but never this young, but who is the father? Please read and review I'd love your comments to help me continue! 


	2. Chapter 2

Well, it seems like the first chapter got a good reception after all, my other Escaflowne fic? Well I did two chapters really quickly, and though they did have good reviews I really don't think I'm interested in it anymore because...I don't know it seemed like after the first two chapters nothing was coming together quite how I wanted, so I think if I can't write another chapter I'm going to take it off ff.net.  
  
Anyway, back to this story, thanks for your lovely reviews, it's nice to get peoples opinions on stories. I rewrote chapter one because I read through it and saw so many mistakes I'd made in typing error! Please forgive me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, please review. If this gets confusing then I promise it was straighten out!  
  
For some reason I was watching MTV and, as much as I hate her, when Avril Lavigne's new song 'With You' or whatever came on, the chorus reminded me of Hitomi for some reason and as much as I hate to say it this is what I would imagine Hitomi's dub voice actress would sound like if they did a new soundtrack for the English release. Even if no one can top Maaya Sakamoto's vocals, this is what I'd imagine English Hitomi sounding like. I really don't like Avril though so it's very grudging to say this.  
  
I also actually talked to a girl I know who had an abortion recently (or so she says) and she didn't seem that bothered!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
"Hitomi? You've been in there for half an hour, I heard you pee around 20 minutes ago so get on with telling me the result already!"  
  
Yukari sounded pretty anxious but nothing could compare to Hitomi's voice when she finally replied, it sounded like death itself.  
  
"It's gone pink..."  
  
Yukari shook her head "You're the one with the packet my love, I don't know what that means"  
  
She heard Hitomi fall against the door and begin to cry.  
  
"Hitomi?" she called desperately, she couldn't stand it when people cried where she couldn't help them "Hitomi, what does it mean?"  
  
Hitomi didn't reply for a few minutes and then came the sniffed reply "It means that I'm pregnant"  
  
"Open the door Hitomi"  
  
Yukari waited as the lock was pulled back, Hitomi sat on the floor with massive red rings around her eyes surrounded in leaflets and packaging on pregnancy that the Pharmacy woman had insisted on giving Yukari, the supposed pregnant teenager.   
  
And here was Hitomi who was pregnant, sitting on the floor of Yukari's bathroom.  
  
Yukari felt nothing but heart filled love and sympathy for the poor girl on the floor and did nothing but put her arms around her friend and hold her while she cried.  
  
Hitomi herself felt shattered, she'd known it would come to this; there was no other option for her but this one. She couldn't stand the thought of something inside, it was terrifying that she was going to be giving birth in less than half a year, and she wouldn't even be 16.  
  
Her head was filled with worry and questions, why now? What would her mother say? What would the people at school say? How could she get rid of it?  
  
She just cried and cried and cried, she didn't know what else to do but cry and there was no one else in the whole world except Yukari who knew.  
  
"Hitomi" Yukari said gently when Hitomi had calmed down a bit "How did this happen?"  
  
Hitomi said nothing but sniffed silently.  
  
Yukari bit her lip, she ought to tell someone, Hitomi's mother or something but her friend looked as shocked as she did and Yukari didn't want to cause trouble.  
  
"Who's the father Hitomi?" Yukari asked, suddenly having the wild notion it was Amano  
  
Hitomi didn't reply.  
  
"You have to tell me something Hitomi, when was your last period?" Yukari was getting desperate for information; she needed to know so she could make the situation better  
  
The green eyes blinked and Hitomi whispered "Four months ago"  
  
Yukari blinked back and then cried "Four months? You're four months pregnant?"  
  
She pulled up Hitomi and began to feel her friend's stomach, to search for the beginnings of a bump "Hitomi we have to do something? Is it too late for an abortion?"  
  
Hitomi suddenly came to life and jumped away, hugging her arms "I am not having an abortion, Yukari! How could you even think like that?"  
  
Yukari stared at Hitomi "Hitomi, you're fifteen! You haven't told me who the father is, you haven't told me how this all came about, how do you think you can even cope with a child? What else can we do? We're going to have to call your mom or something sooner or later!"  
  
Hitomi's lip shook "I know, I know, but I can't" she sat down  
  
Yukari sighed, she didn't know what to do "Just tell me how did this happen?"  
  
Hitomi looked at her straight "You wouldn't believe me..."  
  
* * * * * *   
  
"So you're going back to the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked  
  
It had been a week since the end of the war and peace was beginning to slowly peak its way through the countries of Gaea and the people were losing their fear about war.  
  
Millerna had invited the 'old gang' to the castle, which consisted of Hitomi, Van, Allen and Merle once their affairs had all been settled and it was safe to travel. Dryden was out on the frontiers with his people and so Millerna was managing affairs, Hitomi couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.  
  
Van hadn't really spoken to her, at least not properly, he seemed...almost embarrassed around her, like he'd never been before. Hitomi found it amusing because he was actually acting like one of the boys at her school on Earth and it looked like he was actually getting to grips with how he felt about himself, Hitomi and the world.   
  
Still even if he did find it difficult to express himself at the moment, she found that Merle and Allen made good company even when Van was being hormonal and Hitomi felt perfectly content to wait for him.  
  
Yet though it was all alright now, and she didn't feel fear about Gaea any longer, her heart sank because she knew that she would be returning soon to Earth, it was inevitable, there was no way she could stay. Perhaps that's why Van was avoiding her, he was savouring the taste of their feelings for that moment longer, the unspoken feeling that they felt long before it was confessed.   
  
Although actions proved louder than words in their case.  
  
Here they were now, sitting in a white drawing room all five together as if no war had ever happened, even though lists of damage and wounded were coming in all the time and a national morning and victory celebration were being planned all around them.  
  
"Yes" Hitomi replied smiling as best she could "You can all go home and I feel it's time for me to return as well"  
  
"Well we'll miss you Hitomi" Merle grinned and nudged Van  
  
"We will, certainly" Allen smiled and placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder "I'll arrange for you, Van and Merle to travel back to Fanelia as soon as possible"  
  
"Will it be possible for you to return home from Fanelia, Hitomi?" Millerna asked  
  
"I hope so" Hitomi replied with a nod "It's where I found myself first after all and it seems to be the centre of mystical power in Gaea"  
  
"She was told that by a lady on the road" Merle giggled  
  
Hitomi blushed and nodded "Correct"  
  
Van didn't say anything; he just sat there and stared out the window. No one said anything; they all stared at him feeling conscious of the tense atmosphere that had suddenly appeared.  
  
"Van, how do you feel about Hitomi leaving for the Mystic Moon?" Millerna asked good naturedly, forgetting what thin ice she was treading on  
  
Van stood up and adjusted his sword before saying coldly "It's not my decision or business as to what Hitomi does with her life, if she chooses to go then of course it's my duty as King of Fanelia to escort her to her departure point"  
  
He marched out of the room with a brief nod to all but Hitomi and Merle following him with a whine of "Van, why did you..."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hitomi, we have to tell someone about this" Yukari said quietly  
  
They'd been sitting in Yukari's bathroom for two hours, reading through the pregnancy leaflets and sitting in silence.  
  
"No, no, no" Hitomi said standing up "No one ever needs to know"   
  
"Fine. Then as soon as the bump shows, we run to Hokkaido with self help books, rent a hotel room and deliver the thing ourselves!" Yukari stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes "But that will solve our problems how? Come on Hitomi, how will not telling anyone help us?"  
  
Hitomi sat down again and sighed, "I don't know, but I just don't want to say anything yet, I want to sleep on it"  
  
"Hitomi..."  
  
"Listen Yukari" Hitomi looked her friend in the eye "Tomorrow I promise I'll tell my mom, but for now don't say anything, I'm still trying to work out how it happened in my head and I don't need a ton of other people asking that too"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Please?"   
  
Yukari thought for a moment then replied "OK, but if I don't hear anything by midnight tomorrow I'm telling her myself"  
  
"Thanks Yukari" Hitomi whispered  
  
It really helped to have a friend at this time, Hitomi was glad Yukari was here with her.  
  
After a few minutes of clearing up Hitomi decided to make her way back, it was around 8'o'clock at night and her mom would be wondering soon where she'd gone so it was best to go back now while the night was still young.   
  
Yukari was a bit reluctant to let her go on her own but Hitomi insisted she would be fine and set off into the night.  
  
It was a cool and clear night and Hitomi could see the shadow of Gaea behind the moon and it gave off shining warmth and Hitomi knew that she was looking into the same sky that they were looking into and felt like she was not alone even though the street was empty.  
  
The streetlights shone brightly and Hitomi's steps echoed down and away into the distance, after all the deal at Yukari's Hitomi felt peaceful out here and she knew that soon her life would be in an uproar, not that it wasn't already.  
  
Pregnant.  
  
Hitomi knew she was in trouble, she feared for herself really and for the baby, the comments that would come from others in her family or out on the street, the safety of her child.  
  
Her child.  
  
The words formed on her tongue were difficult to place, she felt like she ought to be 25 and saying them, not 15. She was stupid for getting into this situation but she knew she had to deal with it as best she could.  
  
It was scary to her. Of course it was.  
  
But fear hadn't helped her in Gaea one little bit and it certainly wasn't going to help now or make the situation go away, no good being frightened, she told herself, things were going to be all right. It was hard to say that and think it as well.   
  
'Who's the father?' Yukari's voice rang in her ears  
  
How was she going to explain that to everyone? She could see in Yukari's face that her friend thought it was a possibility that Amano was the father, impossible of course, but none the less, who else had Hitomi had a crush on and had any chance of dating four months ago?  
  
No one.  
  
Maybe she could make someone up? A rape possibly? That she couldn't tell to protect the identity of the father? A dead man? A sperm donator? There were so many lies to choose form them and all of them seemed more impossible than the truth!  
  
She could ask Amano to play the part but then that would crush Yukari and Hitomi knew that he wouldn't have done it anyway and she wouldn't have wanted him to do it either.  
  
Everyone was going to think she was some kind of woman to open her legs for anyone.  
  
It wasn't anyone; Hitomi let a tear slip out of her eye, the melancholy of the Tokyo scenery at night and the clear air creating a kind of loneliness in her after the peacefulness a few moments ago. Of course it wasn't just anybody. Virginity was special and not something to be taken lightly or given to just anybody either. And she hadn't...just the fact of pregnancy hadn't been thought of.  
  
People said that loneliness was one of the most powerful emotions that a human being could experience and Hitomi was feeling it now, she couldn't really talk to anyone about how she was feeling that much and certainly not now, even Yukari seemed preoccupied a lot of the time and now Hitomi wasn't sure that Yukari would be able to cope with Hitomi's story and the father of the child. Most likely she'd be locked away.  
  
A lot of the people she cared about most were on Gaea. While she'd been there they'd all become so precious to her.  
  
She loved her friends, her family and the people on Gaea and maybe, just maybe she was beginning to love this presence inside her.  
  
In the cold night air it felt warm, she felt the beginning bump through her clothes and smiled, no matter what she could overcome it as long as that warmth continued. Shaking her head she walked back and listened to her footsteps.  
  
Somehow several other pairs of footsteps joined them.  
  
A can rolled beside her and Hitomi leapt three foot in the air. Stopping and turning around she searched for the cause of the affect.  
  
No one stood anywhere. The street was quiet, no cars, and no people, nothing except the shadows lingering on the sidewalks.  
  
"Hello?" Hitomi thought, maybe Yukari was making sure she got home "Yukari is that you?"  
  
There was no reply; the silence began to make her feel uncomfortable. Was someone following her or weren't they?  
  
Great, thought Hitomi beginning to get nervous, this is how horror films always start.  
  
Hitomi began to back away and walked as swiftly as she could with out it looking like she was walking as swiftly as she could, back to her home and towards her street.  
  
But. She could swear she was hearing footsteps behind her and soon it got to the point where she couldn't help speeding up out of fright.  
  
She thanked God that she was on the track team at this moment in time.  
  
A scream went up behind her, like a bats but ten times louder and it hurt her head it was so high pitched, the street lights dimmed and went up again as Hitomi ran as fast as she could.  
  
The screeching wailed behind her as she reached her door and just as she slammed it shut she could have sworn she saw a dark shadow leaping at her before disappearing under the street lamp. The lock of the door clicked.  
  
Hitomi sighed as she leant against the door, her heart pounding in her ears.  
  
First one thing, then another, who'd want to be chasing her?   
  
Hitomi didn't need more supernatural events than that had already happened in her life.   
  
But still...had they been chasing her? She might have just seen something that wasn't there.  
  
A pain.  
  
Hitomi grabbed her stomach and held it firmly; a pounding ensued in her belly, where she knew the baby was lying. What was it? A miscarriage? Hitomi couldn't bear the thought of it.   
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi smiled up at her mother and said, "I'm so sorry I'm late, I was at the library with Yukari and we lost track of time" the pain ceased and Hitomi stood up straight.  
  
"I can see, you do look like you've been running" her mother smiled "You disappeared so fast earlier that I got worried"  
  
"Yeah" Hitomi forced herself to grin and replied "I realised I was late"  
  
"Oh well" Her mother headed toward the kitchen "Dinner is in half an hour, Hitomi"  
  
"Thanks"  
  
Hitomi watched her mothers retreating back and listened to her father and brother laughing at the TV momentarily before heading up to her room to dump her things, things consisting mainly of pregnancy leaflets and help line phone numbers.  
  
She dumped them on the bed and turned to her bookcase.  
  
Tarot cards.  
  
She'd done no readings since four months ago and then after her return to Gaea she'd given up, but for some reason she had a craving to know her fate. She felt her stomach, what was going inside her?  
  
She brought out the box of cards and sat at her desk.  
  
Cut, divide, and cut again. She put the cards out in their orders out on the desk and thought firmly on a question as she did so.  
  
Hitomi drew cards and placed them firmly out on the desk. One they were all in position she turned them over and read the meaning.  
  
Life.  
  
Love.  
  
Danger.  
  
Courage.  
  
Light.  
  
All the meanings sprang into her head as she drew out the fortune:  
  
"The life inside will grow," she repeated, "Love will go and hand in hand with danger. Courage will be needed. Stay in the light, the life is wanted."  
  
She lay her hand on her stomach protectively, this morning she hadn't even known she was pregnant, and now she was being told that danger was coming and courage would be needed, it was similar to the reading she'd had before being taken to Gaea the first time.  
  
Hitomi closed her eyes.  
  
The feeling of the air in the room was charged with the power she'd used to read the cards with, it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Funny, she'd never noticed the humming noise it had given until now.  
  
What danger would be coming? The things outside, the shadow that had screamed at her and she'd shut out. The life is wanted? The things outside...  
  
Were they after the child inside her?  
  
* * *  
  
I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Did it? I wanted to try and add an element to it to continue the saga of Escaflowne correctly, anyway I can always rewrite these things, eh? Please review, I love to hear comments! 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing the last chapter, even though I sort of rattled on in the beginning. I'm so glad that I have readers, thank you for letting me know your opinions. I hope this chapter also lives up to your expectations! I promise to put in all the usual people later on, but I will be getting there, I'm just setting it up first, p.s look for a cameo!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
"Mom?" Hitomi opened the door to the kitchen where her Mother was laying the table for dinner and sat down in her usual spot, the TV was still blaring so her brother and father wouldn't be able to hear a thing It was now or never.  
  
"Yes Hitomi?" her mother smiled at her warmly  
  
Hitomi felt uncomfortable, perhaps she ought to wait until later, but she had promised Yukari...but her mother looked so warm and loving that Hitomi couldn't bring her world down on her this soon...  
  
"I have something I need to talk to you about" Hitomi began  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes, it's quite...very important" Hitomi continued "But I don't want you to have the reaction I know you're going to have so I want you to sit down and not to talk until I've finished"  
  
"But dinner is almo~"  
  
"Please?"  
  
Her mother hesitated and then, wiping her hair away from her eyes, shut all the doors and sat down opposite Hitomi.  
  
Hitomi sighed, so this was it, she was going to tell someone else. This was a big step and she wasn't sure she could take it right now. But what else could she do? She was going to start showing soon and then who wouldn't know? Well, apart from them...and this was the sort of time when you needed a mother's protection and advice, if she didn't want to disown Hitomi on the spot.  
  
"Mother, you know I'm not one to make stupid choices or do anything rash and awful, and this all happened recently and it's something that I didn't mean to happen, it just did"  
  
Hitomi stopped and realised she didn't make sense then backed up slowly "I did something...and now I'm in trouble"  
  
"Did you take drugs?" Hitomi's mother looked bewildered "Because if you've got a drug habit then you're to sort it out double quick"  
  
"No, no, no, oh no!" Hitomi gasped, "I'm on track! Of course I wouldn't...no it's not that. Mom...I didn't mean this to happen but...I'm going to be having a baby..."  
  
Silence.  
  
Her mother let out a small giggle and then said narrowed her eyes and said slowly, and cautiously "What?"  
  
Hitomi mumbled it again and kept her eyes lowered, tears almost spilling over.  
  
Hitomi's mother stood up and looked around the room, looking for something to help her understand what her child had just said. Finding nothing she sat down again and faced her daughter.  
  
"Hitomi, how did this happen?" she asked softly  
  
Hitomi looked at her in disbelief.  
  
Her mother raised her eyebrows once more and said "Hitomi Kanzaki stop playing around the point, you know exactly what I mean by 'how'"  
  
Hitomi lowered her eyes again "I can't tell you, you wouldn't really believe me if I did, can we just leave out that detail and skip to the part where I'm pregnant and I get it out of me?"  
  
"Hitomi I need to know who the father is and how it all happened, is it a boy from school? You shouldn't lie to protect him" her mother worried "He needs to take responsibility for this, what's he going to do?"  
  
"He doesn't know"  
  
"Is it that Amano boy? Who left for England?" her mother pressed "I mean you never did stop going on about him until the day he left, you didn't act on anything did you?"  
  
"No, no of course not mom, I just can't tell yo~"  
  
"Hitomi please! I can't support you until you tell me everything"  
  
"But I can't tell you!"  
  
"Tell you what?"  
  
They both jumped and looked around to find her father and brother in the door, looking confused.  
  
"Mamoru, leave the room please" Hitomi's mother ordered quietly  
  
Mamoru stared, "What's going on?"  
  
"Leave"  
  
Her father ushered Mamoru out and shut the door to the kitchen "What's going on then, you look so serious"  
  
"Hitomi's pregnant"  
  
Silence returned to the room and then it was broken with a loud yell of surprise and then he began to banter at her with a speech of what-the-hell-did-you-think-you-were-doing and a dose of 'I'm going to kill the boy who did this to you!' thrown in.  
  
They could hear Mamoru outside the door yelp in surprise but didn't pay any attention, he would have found out sooner or later anyway.  
  
"Dad, please don't yell like that!" Hitomi cried   
  
"Why not?" he answered "My only daughter has gone and had under age sex and even worse! She got PREGNANT WITH SOME LOUT'S CHILD!"  
  
Hitomi stood up and yelled "HE IS NOT A LOUT!"  
  
Her mother looked at them both standing off and said quietly "Please, sit down, both of you, we need to discuss this" with some more cajoling they both sat down and joined the table discussion  
  
"Who's the father," her dad asked  
  
"She won't say"  
  
"Hitomi please tell us who the father is" he was trying to keep his temper "We need to let his parents know"  
  
"He doesn't have any parents" she answered truthfully, "Please, don't get him involved"  
  
Her dad looked about ready to burst while her mother just looked calmly at the table, deep in thought.  
  
"Please Hitomi" her dad said again  
  
"I can't"  
  
"Just leave her," her Mother said quietly, "We can't make her tell us. Hitomi, how many months pregnant are you?"  
  
"Four"  
  
Her father stood up again, his hand to his forehead "Four? Lord, the sickness? It was morning sickness?"  
  
"When did you find out you were pregnant?"  
  
"Today" Hitomi replied, her eyes stung and her belly had butterflies "I figured it out today"   
  
Her mother sighed "Well, I'm glad you came to us this soon, this means we can do something~"  
  
Hitomi cut her off with "I'm not aborting it"  
  
Her father turned to her, his forehead now crinkled with worry, "You can't possibly think you can look after it do you? You'll have to drop school and everything!"  
  
"I can try!"  
  
"We'll all have to help out" her mother looked ready to cry, she reached out and put Hitomi's hand in hers "I know you don't trust us enough to tell us who the father is but Hitomi, please believe me when I say that we'll help you through this" she eyed her husband "Even if it doesn't look like it now"  
  
Hitomi's eyes filled and spilled over and she let herself be hugged and comforted by her mother as if she was five years old again, her father calmed and stroked her hand lovingly. For a moment all of them knew that this was going to happen, there would be a baby coming and that they'd all need to pitch in, they certainly weren't going to leave Hitomi stranded.  
  
Family meant something, and as much as even her father didn't want to admit it, there was going to be a new member pretty soon.  
  
Even Mamoru, outside eavesdropping, secretly vowed to do whatever he could for his sister.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Well if you can't stay...then let me tell you that..."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi was tired the next morning, and even though she'd has so much time off school due to her morning sickness, her mother had relented under the light of new information and told her that she could have the day off.  
  
Hitomi felt a little uncomfortable with the decision though, at four months she didn't really need special treatment and if this was going to happen then she'd fall even further behind in her school work than she had been already.   
  
So, discontent to lie around not doing anything, she called Yukari early and asked her to collect the work for and bring it over later and yes, she assured her friend that she had told her parents and no, they hadn't disowned her, and yes, she was keeping the baby and yes, she was perfectly alright, just a little tired.  
  
She could practically hear the relief of her friend down the phone line and smiled as she hung up.  
  
Lying back, Hitomi closed her eyes and lay her hand on her stomach, she wondered whether the baby should be moving soon, and what it would feel like, a split second of worry over the fact that she was 15 vanished as she fell into slumber where she flew through Gaea and watched Van from afar...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
"W-Whuh?" Hitomi pulled her head up to see that it was noon on the clock and that the doorbell was setting off a pounding headache  
  
Pulling on her dressing gown Hitomi shook sleepiness away to stumble downstairs and open the door slowly to a bright and warm morning with a salesman grinning down at her.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked  
  
His face seemed pale and dim, Hitomi couldn't help but stare, it was like a mask, fixed into a strange smile that set off his jet-black hair. He wore a strange, cape style coat and a wide brimmed hat that shaded the pale skin of his face.  
  
"C-can I help you?" Hitomi asked, rubbing her eyes  
  
"Brilliant Industries Ma'am" he smiled a smile that gave Hitomi shivers and continued "Are you home alone?"  
  
"What? Why?" Hitomi asked, suddenly suspicious  
  
He pulled back and then laughed, a sound that made Hitomi more nervous, suddenly Hitomi found her stomach hurting again, as if something was pulling at it. She winced and grabbed it trying to will the pain to stop.  
  
The salesman carried on laughing and then reached forward and grabbed Hitomi's wrist, as quick as a flash.  
  
Hitomi yelled and tried to pull away, the pain in her stomach getting worse and worse, tears ran down her face as she was dragged outside the door.  
  
"You seem to be afraid Miss Kanzaki," the man almost screeched in laughter "You don't need to be, we only want the child, but then it IS inside of you"  
  
Hitomi stared at this figure holding her wrist and watched as began to disfigure, to waver and change into another form, like mist off a lake.  
  
Hitomi didn't wait to see what it was, with a scream she twisted her wrist to loosen his grip and kicked out hard. Pushing him over and running back inside she slammed and locked the door, only hearing a strange laughter from outside...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
"NO!" Hitomi shot up out of the covers of her bed and sat gasping on the floor, tangled in sheets and her pyjamas  
  
She looked around the familiar room and the sighed. It had been a dream.  
  
"But was it just a dream?" she looked around and caught sight of her wrist beneath the sleeve of her top  
  
Burned into the flesh lightly was a handprint, and her stomach hurt.  
  
"A vision" she said quietly and cradled her arm and her stomach, someone or some people were after, the vision was sent to her for a reason, they always were.  
  
She began to cry, not only did she have to be pregnant but also now she and her child were in danger, why did these things always happen to her? And she was alone in this; her parents and Yukari said they would stand by her but not this, not against something like this, who would believe it? No one even knew that she'd gone to Gaea. So how would they even believe that someone people were after her.  
  
It was like some crazy film that she'd been sucked into.   
  
The burn stung but she ignored it, it seemed like every time these things showed, these shadow people or whatever they were, the baby seemed troubled. Was this the danger the cards had warned about? She had no doubt. Perhaps these things wanted the baby dead, after all, it did feel like she was miscarrying or something when they were near.  
  
Twice now they'd come, in the last 24 hours, what was she going to do? She couldn't tell anyone and she couldn't even protect herself from them.  
  
No one could protect her here...  
  
Pulling herself into a praying position Hitomi closed her eyes and thought, hard. If they could see each other when they wanted to, would he be able to hear her as well? She really couldn't do this alone...  
  
Hello?  
  
Help me...  
  
Please...  
  
Can you hear me?...  
  
Hitomi gave up; obviously it only worked when they were both thinking of each other. She wiped her eyes and stood up, no use crying Hitomi, she told herself, you're obviously on your own on this one so get on with it.  
  
The first thing she did was to go into her brother's room and fetch the baseball bat.  
  
Well, there was no reason to go unprepared.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"She had to go, she was still just a girl"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hitomi please, don't dawdle!"   
  
Her mother had insisted on a hospital check up on Hitomi to see if it was going well, a scan and things were also on her agenda. If Hitomi hadn't know about it for four months...well...plenty could be going wrong, she reasoned.  
  
They walked into the waiting room of the maternity section of the hospital and Hitomi immediately felt that this was a bad idea.  
  
All of the women and couples in that room looked at her with a look that Hitomi could guess the meaning of. 'Oh my god what a slut'. It was written in their expressions and if it hadn't been for her mothers tight grip on her hand she would have run right out that second.  
  
"Hitomi Kanzaki, please"   
  
"Thank you, please take a seat, someone will be right out"  
  
"Right, come on, Hitomi"  
  
They placed themselves in the corner of the room away from prying eyes and Hitomi bit her lip, all the women hear for ultrasounds were in couples. She felt lonely, even though her mother was there she felt that she ought to be here in tens years from now with a man at her side.  
  
Not her mother, this was all wrong.  
  
They waited patiently but soon Hitomi began to fidget...  
  
"Hitomi Kanzaki? The doctor will see you now"  
  
They were led into one of the quiet rooms and were met with a female doctor, Ms. Kanno by the name tag and were asked to sit.  
  
"I'm guessing it's you who's here to have her first ultra-sound?" she asked Hitomi, who nodded, "Well don't worry, I'm here to look after you, not to make judgements. I don't care how you got into this situation as long as you're both healthy and you're not in any kind of trouble, be it boys, drugs or gangs. Understand Miss Kanzaki?"  
  
Hitomi stared, dumbstruck for a moment then nodded again.  
  
She waited calmly as her mother and Kanno talked things over about insurance slips and such as well as help lines and advice centres for Hitomi to visit if she needed help. Once they'd talked everything over, Hitomi putting in a 'yes' or 'no' in places, Kanno said:  
  
"All right let's take a look shall we?"  
  
Hitomi sat still "What?"  
  
Kanno smiled warmly "What else are we here for Hitomi? We're going to have a look at your baby. This way please, jump up on the bed"  
  
Hitomi did as she was told and, under her mother's direction, exposed the right part of her stomach as Dr. Kanno set up the ultrasound and rubbed in the gel for the sensor to go over on.  
  
"Ack, cold" Hitomi shivered as the other two women laughed  
  
"I went through the same thing myself with you and your brother, so stop complaining" her mother mock-scolded   
  
"Here we go, Hitomi" Kanno placed the sensors onto the gel on Hitomi's stomach and watched the screen for the picture to develop "There won't be THAT much to see yet but still, there'll be something to look at, here we go..."   
  
An image came up on screen, black and white with a few blobs here and there, a small and perfect image in the centre, with a small beating heart and you could just make out it's head and body developing.   
  
Hitomi breathed in deeply and reached out to touch the screen, it was inside her, it was hers...if only he was here to see...she breathed in the atmosphere of the room. It was moving to feel so close to something and know that you were the one helping it grow and come out to the world, that you were the one it needed.  
  
Magic.  
  
In later life that would how she would describe it, but now it was just strange and beautiful.  
  
"Hmm, I think there's some dirt on the screen..."  
  
Hitomi heard her mother go "W-what...is that normal?"  
  
Hitomi came out of her trance of looking at the screen and looked around at the other two women, they looked stunned. Turning back to the screen Hitomi went to see what they were looking at.  
  
Around the small beating bubble, white mist was formed and curled around the body of the tiny life form. They moved as the child moved and seemed as solid and the child itself.  
  
Kanno seemed at a loss for words, her mother too. Hitomi stared and placed her hand on the screen, tears bubbling over once more and sobbed, she knew what they were...  
  
Hitomi didn't know who said it first but she knew they had identified the mist...  
  
"Wings"  
  
* * *  
  
Was that chapter ok for you guys? I promise I will bring in people soon! This is the build up! Woo! Anyway, did you recognise the cameo? And I guess you all have pretty good ideas of the father now, well, read and review! Till next time! 


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, I don't think I've ever had so many reviews for so little chapters, I'm very surprised. Thanks for everyone's opinions, you know, you can give constructive criticism here ^^;; I'm not perfect. *Lol* Anyway, thanks so much for your lovely reviews, once more I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as the last too and like the direction the story is going.  
  
You know, I think I may have cursed everyone with this fic, before I started writing it I was fine, and now a girl in my year is pregnant (6 months apparently) and another had an abortion! What's going on that it's all coming out now?  
  
Alright, this chapter will have a lot of flicking and fluttering through the past and present so see if you can work it all out *wink*!  
  
Ack, I know where I want to go but not how to get there! Van and all the Gaea people will be in soon, please be patient!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
"Wings"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The child had wings. Hitomi had spent the night crying into her pillow, frustrated and saddened that this trait would be born to her child. It wasn't that she didn't want the baby to have wings, she was fine with that, it was the fact that the people in this world didn't usually have wings.  
  
Not that it was normal for Gaea people to have wings either.  
  
The doctor and her mother had stared at the screen for almost an hour before the uproar had started, several doctors were called in for a closer look and hypothesis and none of them knew what was happening or what they were seeing either.  
  
'An angel?'  
  
'The screen must be broken'  
  
'Is it a back deformity?'  
  
'What a joke'  
  
Their endless questions to her and their conclusions on what to do had made her head spin and her heart hurt. It was obvious what would happen when the baby was born, if it had the wings then...it wouldn't survive infancy. There were too many scientists, government agents, religious fanatics and just plain ordinary people who could turn into a mob for its safety.   
  
In this world anything out of the ordinary was not accepted, it had happened all the way through history. She didn't want her child to go through that.  
  
And he wouldn't either.  
  
Hitomi had been sent home from the hospital around six hours after her original appointment, and instructions to look after herself and come back in a week for further ultra-sounds and tests and apparently someone had phoned the government about her situation and she was under the label 'top-secret' already.   
  
A long list of times and instructions were set out for her to do before the next appointment, eat lots of vegetables, drink water...  
  
She was also commanded to bring the father with her.  
  
How could she get out of that? She and the baby would turn into walking test subjects.  
  
Hitomi sniffed again and wiped her eyes, she always seemed to be crying these days, ever since her pregnancy test, heightened hormones didn't help when the world seemed so determined to bring her down as well as some crazy people being after her, she gazed lazily at the burn she'd managed to keep hidden under her sleeve.  
  
And things had been going so well only a few days ago.  
  
What was she going to do? Every day it seemed she was becoming more and more isolated.  
  
Even now, her brother was at a friend's house and her parents had gone to the supermarket.  
  
She was alone now too.  
  
Pulling herself out of bed and pulling on yesterday's clothes, she stumbled out of the front door for air.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
They'd been on the road for two days after saying good-bye to Millerna and Allen. Hitomi, Van and Merle had begun their journey to Fanelia to reunite with their people and begin to rebuild their home.  
  
Hitomi herself was heading for Fanelia to return home.  
  
Van hadn't talked to her or apologised for the coldness in Millerna's drawing room. Hitomi had tried to talk to him but no matter how hard she tried, he always found an excuse to ignore her or brush her off by talking to Merle.  
  
Merle was annoyed at Van and had certainly made it clear every time they stopped for the night in a clearing through giving Van the burnt food.  
  
He never complained. Maybe he was used to her revenge ideas.  
  
Hitomi and Merle made up this lack of emotions by talking about him between themselves. They'd struck a truce up when they'd met up again after the War and there seemed to be a peace between them, which revolved around Van himself.   
  
This didn't stop them gossiping about him.  
  
He ignored them and always slept on the other side of the clearing to them and rode ahead.  
  
Hitomi was beginning to let his behaviour get her down even though it wasn't really her fault. And secretly shed her tears in the middle of the night when no one was awake.  
  
Would he even say good-bye? After all, she had told Merle very loudly that once they got to Gaea she would leave after a good nights rest.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi slowly stalked down the street. Not even sure where she was going, everyone was doing something but with nothing to do she just wandered the local streets that she knew and breathed in the sunlight.  
  
In a way it was even lonelier on the streets, people didn't look at her or even see her it seemed as they hurried on their everyday business.  
  
I have experienced more than they will ever know, Hitomi thought, looking at all the shoppers and people bustling past her.  
  
To the annoyance of the people around her, Hitomi stopped walking in the middle of the crowded street. Curses were hurled but no one bothered her, just went around.   
  
Looking up at the sky Hitomi was astonished as a large white feather floated down to be caught by her waiting hand.  
  
Staring at it, she held it in her palm and then looked up to the sky, searching for the familiar sound of pulsing wings and the rain of feathers. None.  
  
She held the feather to her heart and called out loudly "Van?"  
  
No answer, people were staring at her, but she didn't care, she just kept searching the sky.  
  
"Van!"  
  
Feeling the need to, Hitomi broke out of her stillness and began to run, feeling the familiar freedom of the wind in her hair. The hair whipping around in her grasp and then making a dash for the same feeling of freedom that she was experiencing.  
  
Hitomi, reaching an emptier road, spread her arms out, wishing for the same feeling of flight that Van must have felt when he spread his wings, she run like this for a whole block before finally slowing down to breathe.  
  
The baby moved.  
  
Surprised, Hitomi fell to her knees and sat for a moment with her hand on her stomach. She smiled, it was alive and well then. She wished the same for the father, for a moment she had the wild notion that the baby had spread it's wings and that the feathers had somehow come from her.  
  
"Van" she said quietly "I want you to be here"  
  
And quietly, slowly, very softly behind her, a small white feather floated down and touched her gently on the cheek.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We're here!"  
  
It seemed like a century ago Merle had spoken those words as they had been welcomed back into Fanelia by the survivors of the Zaibach attack, and it seemed like they had begun rebuilding almost straight away because houses were erected practically all over the burnt city.  
  
All that was left to start apparently was the castle and until then they would all be put up in a spare house until the castle was sufficiently large to house the King and his household, Van insisted that he didn't need this to be done at all and that the people were more important than him, how were they anyway?  
  
The Fanelian people were proud to be 'survivors of all' because after such a short time away, their King returned to find each family had a home, maybe not the size of the one they had once had originally but absolutely no one was left to face the weather and night outside, and even now the materials were being gathered to make these houses even bigger for the families and the people had divided themselves up to either build or work the land or cook.   
  
With a lot of the men killed in the Zaibach attack it was mainly women who took up the responsibility.  
  
It was a community and they all worked together to rebuild their country and world after the devastation of the war.  
  
Celebrations were ordered and Van was lead off to begin his Kingly duties straight away while Merle and Hitomi were lead in the opposite direction to rest after their journey, he hadn't even looked back to her.  
  
So much for love, Hitomi thought absently, he didn't even say goodbye, maybe I'll just leave now and save him the trouble. Wasn't even that nice anyway...  
  
It was lonely that night, as the celebrations were waged, Hitomi couldn't smile as she thought about what she had said a day ago 'I'm leaving the day after we reach Fanelia'. He hadn't even reacted.  
  
So she left early, why stay when she knew no one and the only people she did know were either busy or were giving her the silent treatment.  
  
* * * * * *   
  
"Where have you been, Hitomi?" her mother asked, exasperated  
  
"I went for a walk"   
  
"Well, tell someone next time"  
  
"I will, I'm sorry"  
  
"Alright then, how's the baby?"  
  
"It moved, I think"  
  
"Wonderful, you are heading into the five month period anyway. It's probably nearly half formed now, little angel"  
  
Her mother smiled and went into the kitchen to finish unpacking the shopping and she heard her talking with her father about the Government having given them regulations on Hitomi's diet etc.  
  
Hitomi sighed, why did the world want to butt in? It wasn't their business what sort of baby she had. She wondered whether they thought it was an angel because at least they knew something of them from the bible or whatever. But how could she explain Dragon blood, they'd probably do blood tests when it was born and find it?  
  
She patted her stomach as she headed upstairs "Not even born and you're already making trouble, my love"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi had dropped off to sleep in the small room of the hut they'd been given to live in when a soft knock resounded through her dreams of flight, pulled out of a cloud she sat up on the bed drowsily and wiped her eyes free of sleepy dust and yawned.  
  
"Hitomi"  
  
Hitomi bit her lip and held her breath. It was Van. Should she pretend sleep? Or open the door? She sat there for a moment undecided and then opted to open the door and feign sleepiness to avoid talking.   
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
Crossing the room she opened the door a crack, just to peer out, and said, "What do you want, Van? I'm tired"  
  
He didn't say anything, he just pushed on the door, Hitomi hadn't been holding it very hard anyway and walked into the small room looking at her with seriousness she'd come to recognise as being important.  
  
"What?" she asked quietly, still holding the door  
  
"I wanted to say..." Van began, then he stopped and came out with "Shut the door, I don't exactly want the whole world looking in"  
  
Hitomi shrugged and shut the door.  
  
Van began again, "Well, if you can't stay...then let me tell you..."  
  
Hitomi waited, he'd spit it out when he was ready, and she sat down on the floor and watched him.  
  
He didn't spit it out for a long time though, he just stood there and stared at the floor, his hair covering his expression so she couldn't see what he was thinking. She wished she could though, it would be easier to know what to say to him. After all the silent treatment, why were suddenly they were talking?  
  
"Why aren't you at the party?" Hitomi asked, she could still hear the sounds of the celebration going on outside  
  
Van seemed to lose some of his tenseness and came and sat down opposite Hitomi, tossing his sword on the other side of the room easily before placing his head on his hand.  
  
"I couldn't enjoy it," he said simply  
  
"Oh" Hitomi replied, finding an interesting point on the floor to stare at  
  
Van sighed, "I don't know what's the matter with me Hitomi, these are your last hours together and I've ruined them, haven't I?"  
  
Hitomi didn't argue, he obviously didn't want a reply, just to get it off his chest.  
  
"I just realised when I was down there, at that celebration, that I don't want this"  
  
Hitomi asked quietly "You don't want to be King?"  
  
"No, not that"  
  
Hitomi looked up at him and saw him say with all seriousness "I don't want you to leave"  
  
He opened his other palm slowly under the moonlight that shone in from a small window. He held a small ring of gold out to her.  
  
"Van...I..." Hitomi whispered and looked up at him "I can't"  
  
He grinned lopsidedly and moved forward to brush away a lone tear that slid down her cheek "I know you can't Hitomi, but I meant...not forever"  
  
"What?" she asked, confused by his words  
  
"Until the sun comes up," he said softly "Until the dawn of your departure, I promise myself to you"  
  
He softly kissed her forehead and pressed the ring into her palm, Hitomi let her fingers be pulled around the small circle gently. Van got up to leave, picking up his sword and moving toward the door, he nodded and opened the door.  
  
"Wait"  
  
He turned around to find Hitomi on her feet, the ring in her hands, clutched to her chest.   
  
"What?" Van asked  
  
"Please...stay?" she smiled uncertainly  
  
He smiled in such a way that his eyes crinkled at the edges in such a rare and true way that Hitomi would never forget the smile he gave, not even years later. In that single smile his heart was opened in a way that he could not have hidden his feelings even if he had tried.  
  
"Until the dawn of your departure" he replied simply as he put down his sword and shut the door.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"I'll never forget you, Van. Not even when I'm an old woman"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
It was late at night when Hitomi finally laid her head down to sleep. She'd been watching a show on TV and had been so deeply cut off from the real world that it was half past midnight on the new Saturday morning when she had finally turned it off.  
  
She knew she'd pay for it in the morning but then she'd told herself that it was Saturday, she could sleep in. At least until her brother decided to make such a noise with his radio that she couldn't ignore it any longer.  
  
In her room, the dark was comforting, not like in Gaea when the dark could have held any number of dangers that were unknown to her. It was a chance to sleep in the open, wild animals, soldiers, anything could be out there. But she had always felt safe sleeping out in the open with Van.  
  
She giggled out loud as she remembered the time when she had talked about Allen in her sleep while Merle and Van were awake. Embarrassing at the time but true.  
  
She sent herself off to sleep with that thought, the memories that she enjoyed from Gaea.  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
When Hitomi woke up, it was, as she predicted, late morning and her brother had rock music playing next door but there was something else. Without opening her eyes Hitomi registered that there was someone in her room.  
  
She slowed her breathing back down to the level she guessed was what she breathed at when she was asleep and kept still.   
  
Silence.  
  
She could feel their presence in the room and decided to make a run for it, gathering her wits she decided to leap out of bed and startle them before running to her brother.  
  
She pretended to stir and then ripped off the covers of the bed and dashed for the door.  
  
The person wore black, her stomach dropped and she reached for the door handle.  
  
A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the floor.  
  
"No!" Hitomi yelled and began to pull her hand away, kicking and throwing wild punches out "I won't let you hurt it!"  
  
"Hitomi!" they yelled, "Stop it!"  
  
Stopping her thrashing for a moment, Hitomi stopped to stare up into the brown eyes of her brother. He let go of her wrist and let her calm herself. Hitomi noticed he wasn't in the room with his rock music and that several boxes had been piled up to the door and she'd failed to notice, and he was wearing a black Metallica t-shirt.  
  
She stared at him "What are you doing?"  
  
He put his finger to his lips and whispered, "There're people in our house. I don't know them. But I heard a door crash in and didn't stop to find out what was going on. I came in here and blocked the door"  
  
He looked genuinely afraid. Hitomi believed him.  
  
"When was that?"  
  
"About half an hour ago, I haven't heard them come up the stairs but theres been an awful lot of crashing down there"  
  
"Mom and dad?"   
  
"Out, with friends"  
  
"Right"  
  
Hitomi knew that the people downstairs were the Shadow people, her stomach ached wearily and as long as they came no closer, then it would continue until they went away. What to do? They could get out of the window but it was a bit of a drop. They might get hurt.  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why did you say 'don't hurt it'?" Mamoru asked, "Were you dreaming?"  
  
"No. There are too many people who'd love to get their hands on this baby" Hitomi said truthfully, the situation they were in didn't call for lies  
  
"Because it has..."  
  
"Wings? Yes" Hitomi sat on the bed and said "And the people down there are no exception, but they aren't normal either"  
  
"What?" he looked even more afraid now  
  
"I don't know what they are but" she held out her burnt wrist, the imprint still clear on her skin "They're definitely the most dangerous"  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, the rock music of her brother still covering the noises of the people downstairs, in a way it was worse because they couldn't hear anyone coming up to the second floor with it on and were completely isolated from other sounds.  
  
"What are we going to do?"   
  
Hitomi didn't answer, the baby was beginning to hurt, to wriggle in her womb, crying out for protection once more. She held her womb, trying to mentally calm it down, not sure why such a foetus at this stage could make so much movement when in distress. It hurt so badly, was it that these things made the baby feel like it would miscarry to make her hand it over? The pain reached a height as she heard a yell:  
  
"HITOMI!"  
  
Hitomi snapped up to see that the door handle was being moved and that Mamoru was holding the baseball bat, ready to defend his sister.  
  
In a split second, Hitomi made the decision to jump, gathering the bedclothes in her arms she opened the window and threw them to the ground beneath, then throwing down some floor cushions down after them. The more protection, the better.  
  
The door was shoved open and the boxes fell over and in the doorway was one of the mask-like faced creatures, the shadow people.  
  
"Mamoru, come on!" Hitomi grabbed her trusty sports bag (with happened to be the one which she had taken to Gaea and which happened to have the good luck to be packed) and began to lower herself as far as she could out of the window "We need to get out of here"  
  
"Right" Mamoru followed down quickly as soon as Hitomi landed, after throwing a few blows with the baseball bat  
  
They began to run down the street, hearing the strange screeches and yells of the intruders as they began to follow the escapees.  
  
"Don't look back!" Hitomi commanded, as once more her track adrenaline flowed and they raced away from the house, not even knowing where they were going  
  
They could hear that they were being chased, Hitomi knew that they wouldn't easily lose these people and lead Mamoru down a maze of streets, helping him run at her speed by holding onto his hand and pulling him up when he stumbled.  
  
The houses and stores and people blurred past them as they ran, unsure what would happen if they were caught and unsure of their direction.  
  
Even Hitomi knew nothing of what they were going to do, but had the vague idea of a police station being helpful. But even the police would not be able to help them from these enemies.  
  
For a moment it felt like she was back in Gaea, running from soldiers or Guymelef's or even something that wasn't human. They'd always been running from something.  
  
Suddenly she realised where they were.  
  
School.  
  
This was Hitomi's school.  
  
She looked up with amazement at the building, barely hearing the please of her brother to move and the screams of people as they sighted their strange pursuers.   
  
Turning around slowly she found that she faced the shrine. The very same one that Van had killed the dragon at and the one where she had been transported to Gaea.  
  
Suddenly she had a feeling that the shrine was where they should run to, she didn't know why but it hit her that there was something there that was pulling them, and high in the sky she could see the world of Gaea casting it's gravity on Earth.  
  
A vision of light and Gaea filling her mind she yelled:  
  
"Come on"  
  
Pulling Mamoru she began to run up the steps and through the arches into the shrine, despite his yells and protests. They had to have found themselves here for a reason, the baby, the pursuers, the wings, the feather, it had to mean something, the tarot reading! They couldn't all be coincidence!  
  
They emerged out into the clearing in front of the shrine. The bright morning seemed still, no birds.  
  
Throwing down her bag, letting it be picked up by Mamoru, Hitomi got to her knees.  
  
"What are you doing?" Mamoru yelled, "Those things are coming!"  
  
Even now she could hear them.  
  
"What are you doing? Get up!"  
  
I'm waiting, Hitomi thought, something will happen, I can feel it. The baby began to squirm and she felt it's pain as the first of the things stumbled up onto the hilltop and made it's way over to them.  
  
It's face was like a mask, a sickly smile stuck on to it's pale skin underneath the wide brimmed hat and dark clothes.  
  
It was followed by three more. Then another two, all were identical to the first.  
  
The shadow people began to create a wide circle around Hitomi and her brother, her brother was almost crying in his efforts to make her move in his fear, Hitomi herself felt sick with the pain and fear she felt towards these things and yet she could not move. She had to concentrate on Gaea.   
  
Please, please, please, please, please, she thought, let help come.  
  
A high-pitched scream wailed for what seemed like forever through the clearing and then the things began to move inwards.  
  
"HITOMI!" her brother yelled  
  
And the world was consumed by light.  
  
* * *  
  
I'll be completely happy to rewrite this chapter if you are unhappy with it, it's just this was the only way I could think of to write in the Gaean characters, because I'm thinking of having them going back and forth to each place, it depends. What do you all think? Please tell me because I've written this chapter about 3 times, each time different because I can't decide how to work it now! I am so sorry for the cliff-hangers and the lack of detail...I really will try to work on them for you all! 


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you all so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much for all your reviews, I have actually decided on a plot line which will now take into all of your opinions of no switching. But you'll need to read on to see what route I've taken and I'll be glad to have your opinions on it in your reviews.   
  
I'm just relaxing, listening to Maaya Sakamoto music (appropriate, huh?) and deciding to write this chapter. I'm so surprised at how many reviews you have given me 0_0 and I don't really feel like I deserve all these nice comments. Thank you so much for your comments though! I really like reading them and they help me to write as well!  
  
Just watched 'the Day The Angel Flew' AGAIN! Honestly, I get goosebumps every time I watch it, the music when the energists start reacting is so cool. I can't believe how good Yoko Kanno is at composing!  
  
Oh yeah, AnimeD (is it?) about the mistake in chapter two!! You're right!!! I had to go back and rewrite it 0_o why would they run to Mexico? It's because I keep imagining dub voices, and since their American I keep thinking America!! So I've gone back and changed it to Hokkaido! Thank you for pointing that out! Such an obvious mistake!  
  
Ack. Poor Hitomi! I've made her pregnant and everyone seems to have fun either making her pregnant or killing off her family, or both!! Why must we all make her suffer so? Ah well, it makes good reading!  
  
It's so hard, would Gaeans speak Japanese? I'll put them speaking English and Japanese as a common way of communicating between races and countries I guess...And we're finally going to have more characters looking at the scene!  
  
Disclaimer: no own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes, sunspots littered her gaze and they felt strained for a moment. As it cleared she could see tree branches above her, dappled with light and colour. She couldn't be bothered to move, her arms and legs hurt a lot and her stomach felt weak.  
  
She managed to move her hand to feel her abdomen and found it all in one piece, and the vague sense of life still resided beneath her palm. Once she found that feeling it made her more eager to discover her surroundings.  
  
Trees...she though distantly, am I still at the shrine? Bird song littered the air, where there had been none before and the sound of traffic was vacant.  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
Hitomi pulled herself up slowly to see Mamoru pulling his own body up into a sitting position, he looked groggy and still frightened.  
  
Looking around quickly to find the things, Hitomi relaxed when she saw that there was no sign of them. Beginning to remember what had happened she pulled herself up completely and dusted off. If only the branches and leaves weren't covering the sky, she'd be able to tell where they were.  
  
"Are you alright Hitomi?" Mamoru struggled over to her and handed her the sports bag, he'd held on to for the whole time "Where are those things? What was that light?"  
  
Hitomi replied, "I'm not sure" but she was slightly clued in on the light  
  
Mamoru took in the surroundings and said uncertainly "This isn't the shrine..."  
  
"No"  
  
Hitomi placed her bag on the floor and looked around, a tree close by held suitable braches for climbing and they were low. Hitomi rolled up her sleeves, not discouraged to find her pyjamas, and headed toward the tree trunk. Testing the lowest branch against her weight.  
  
They were either on Earth or they weren't, the light had told her that enough.  
  
"What are you doing?" Mamoru asked cautiously "You shouldn't do that in your condition"  
  
Hitomi shot him a look of 'please' and began to climb, slowly but surely, to the largest branch in the highest place in the tree she could reach to get a good look at the sky. Despite Mamoru's protests she ended up pretty high and swept away the green foliage to reveal the bright blue sky that comes at the ending of a day.  
  
A moon and planet hung in the bright sky, a bright white daytime moon. Hitomi could tell from the size of it that it wasn't Gaea. That meant one thing. They weren't on Earth. Her stomach felt strange for a moment with a feeling she had no name for. They were on Gaea.  
  
Without the pendant.  
  
Had they been transported there by strength of will? Hitomi gulped and began to make her way (a bit more slowly) down the tree.  
  
Reaching the bottom of the tree she picked up her bag again and said slowly, "We're not on Earth anymore..."  
  
Mamoru stared, then said "Oh Ha, ha Hitomi, 'we're not on Earth' what do you take me for?" but he did look uncertain  
  
Hitomi eyed Mamoru; she'd always thought 13-year-old boys had a knack for looking confident, obviously her brother didn't hold this ability. She shrugged; it was up to him whether he would believe her, when he saw the sky above them he'd know. At least she'd tried to forewarn him about the shock.  
  
What to do though? She had no idea where on Gaea they were. Unlike the other occupants she had travelled with, she had no knowledge of how to travel according to stars. So they'd have to walk in one direction until they found a road or person or village. Something to tell them where they were.  
  
Gaea. Hitomi never thought she'd end up here again. But then, hadn't she wished for it at the shrine? Hadn't her feelings been strong enough to carry them both from danger?  
  
Mamoru was staring at a tree "What type of tree is this?"  
  
"I don't know" Hitomi replied, truthfully  
  
He looked at her strangely and then stood still "Where's the noise of the traffic gone?"  
  
"It's not here," Hitomi said  
  
Mamoru was beginning to look as frightened as when the things had turned up at the house before "Hitomi, tell me what's going on!"  
  
Hitomi sighed and then replied quite frankly, wishing to be on the move "I told you, we're not on Earth anymore, we're on another world now"  
  
"Another?" he looked baffled  
  
"Yes" Hitomi replied, "Climb up the tree and look"  
  
She waited patiently as he did as she suggested and climbed up to the tree, he tumbled down again quickly enough though, with a look that said plainly what he was thinking.  
  
"T-t-t-t-there's a w-r- Earth! UP THERE" he pointed with emphasis to the sky and Hitomi smiled  
  
She'd felt exactly the same when she'd arrived after seeing the dragon.  
  
"We're on a world called Gaea, come on, I'll tell you all about it"  
  
They began to walk in a direction that Hitomi had randomly chosen and she began to tell the story of Gaea. Of her arrival there, well, the shortened version. She left out about the people she had met and the Destiny War, as well as her visions and card readings. Just that she had been here and come back to Earth. Four months ago.  
  
She could see the light behind Mamoru's eyes light up when she had mentioned the time span. His head was putting together the pieces, her actions over the last four months...the pregnancy, the wings.  
  
Mamoru stayed quiet as they walked through the greenery, listening to the strange birdcalls and getting to grips with all that she told him.  
  
Hitomi hoped they were somewhere near Fanelia, or at least Asturia.   
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Sorry, I don't do that anymore"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
It must have been evening by the time they reached a road, Hitomi in the lead, Mamoru flabbergasted behind her. The sun was beginning to set and their shadows grew longer. The trees had thinned and they rounded a corner to discover a muddy track, conveniently littered with signposts pointing off in certain directions.   
  
Unfortunately, Hitomi could not read the signs.  
  
Mamoru had not spoken since their arrival, trying to process the information and the landscape around him. It was impossible, but here he was, walking on a planet behind the moon.  
  
Hitomi had explained to him where there were and how they were but didn't really know how to talk about everything else, Van, Allen, all the others.   
  
They'd also taken several rests to make sure Hitomi didn't get tired. But she was feeling weak, after they had begun to walk her head had begun to feel light and even now as they walked it was pounding. She decided it must have been the effort to bring them here but it was a pain. At one point her vision had blurred.  
  
"We need to head either to Asturia or Fanelia," she said, looking at the signs absently  
  
"Where?" Mamoru peered at the wiggles and shrugged "Guess they don't speak Japanese here"  
  
Hitomi shook her head "They do, but I don't know how, it seems to be the common language here along with English while all the countries have different dialects. Most of the places I went when I was here spoke Japanese and English for some reason. Dryden even spoke Latin"  
  
"Oh" he stared off into space for a moment, wondering who Dryden was, then asked Hitomi "Why would they speak Japanese and English?"  
  
"Not sure" was all that came back  
  
They set off in one direction of the road as the sun began to set, it seemed to have the most signs pointing towards it indicating civilisation it seemed.  
  
Hitomi knew they'd have to camp out on the road, and it seemed like they'd have to do it soon but Hitomi began to hear hooves from far off. A whole lot of horses' hooves.  
  
"Mamoru!"   
  
She knew the war was over but there was no way to know what was going on in Gaea now, four months later, or who was friendly to strangers on the road. The safest bet was to hide while they passed. At least she'd learnt one good thing from being on the run from Zaibach.  
  
Pulling Mamoru practically by the ear she moved off the road and back into the undergrowth, choosing a particularly large bush to sit behind, as the noise grew louder.  
  
Since her stomach didn't hurt she knew that they weren't in immediate danger, but her head felt strange, the long walk had made her feel ill, she hadn't eaten either, and so she'd used up a lot of her energy on the running.  
  
She laid her head on her knees and breathed deeply.   
  
Mamoru looked ta her, concerned and said "Are you ok?"  
  
Hitomi smiled "Yeah"  
  
"They're nearly here" he motioned to the road, the noises of horses beginning to mix in with sounds of armour "Are you sure we need to hide? I thought you'd been here before"  
  
"Not everyone's friendly" she replied seriously "It's just like our world"  
  
"Here they come"  
  
Hitomi watched his fist grip a stone and sighed, he was becoming like Van, always ready to protect. Maybe it was an effect of Gaea, still Mamoru would get a shock when he saw the people here. As she had before, it seemed like years ago even though it was just a few months.  
  
They listened as the horses came closer and in a sudden rush of sound swept past the road as something like 30 or 40 horses in a troop rode past, Knights on all, swords and banners brightly flashing in the grim light.  
  
Hitomi almost cried out as a shock of blonde hair drew out in front of the rest of the troops and was closely followed by another. Tall, blue uniform.  
  
Stumbling out into the dust of the road Hitomi ran to the middle of the road screaming "ALLEN!" at the top of her lungs  
  
"Hitomi!" Mamoru yelled, following her out into the cloud of dust.  
  
Hitomi coughed from the dust, her hunger and fatigue finally taking her over and passed out.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"ALLEN!"  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
Mamoru grasped the sports bag and scrambled out into the road with his rock to where Hitomi was, reaching her as she collapsed. What was wrong with her?  
  
The thunder of hooves had stopped and the dust was thick.  
  
Were they coming back? Why had Hitomi yelled.  
  
Mamoru knelt next to his sister and began to try and pull her up, but she was too heavy for him. He cursed and checked her breathing like he'd learnt at school.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
Mamoru jumped three foot in the air, out of the dark and dusty road a tall figure made their way. Mamoru gripped his rock and threw it out at the person, not going to let anyone near Hitomi, determined to wound.   
  
"STAY BACK!" he yelled as a cry of pain echoed out into the night  
  
The figure continued and stepped out into the clearing dust. A tall man, taller than anyone Mamoru had ever seen stood over him. A long shock of blonde hair covering blue uniform and a very long sword.  
  
Mamoru gulped and dragged Hitomi behind him.  
  
The man frowned and said, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"  
  
Mamoru scowled and gripped Hitomi's hand and her bag tighter. Determined not to let anything happen. But hadn't Hitomi called this man's name? How did he know her? A surge of anger flowed through Mamoru, was this the father of Hitomi's child? He was so...old. Mamoru shuddered inwardly at the thought.  
  
The man held out his sword and said "Answer me boy, it's rude to keep a Knight of Asturia waiting"  
  
"A what?" tumbled out of Mamoru's mouth before he could stop it  
  
Fortunately this seemed to throw the man completely and he burst out laughing. It was a deep and kind laugh, he wasn't laughing at Mamoru but at the comment, Mamoru instinctively liked this laugh and warmed to the man. Surely he would help Hitomi.  
  
He decided to ask for help with Hitomi, it couldn't help the baby to be like this, they had walked a long way.  
  
"Excuse me, sir" Mamoru said politely once the man had calmed himself "My...my sister, she's...she needs help"  
  
"Sister?" the man could only see Hitomi's lower half from behind Mamoru "Was she the one who called me? I have to admit, it was a rather feminine call and I have never been one to ignore the cry of a woman. What's the matter with her?"  
  
"She's collapsed" Mamoru stated blandly which a 'duh' expression  
  
The man smiled "Well, let me see your sister, boy"  
  
Mamoru nodded and stood up, revealing his sister to the man fully. He was shocked to see the man practically reel with surprise and then go pale.  
  
"HITOMI?" the man dropped to his knees and patted her cheek gently "Hitomi? Are you all right? Wake up Hitomi!"  
  
Mamoru stared, he knew her as well? Then she hadn't just called a random name, he stared as this man tried to rouse his sister. His sword awkwardly scraping the floor.  
  
A sword, what kind of world was this? Every moment it got stranger. Mamoru looked at the mans companions, a woman with cropped blonde a top a horse, also wearing a sword looked over patiently. And a troupe of men talked impatiently. One or two only looking vaguely interesting in their companion's actions.  
  
Was he their commander?  
  
They looked like they were stuck in Middle Ages Europe. They were on horses, had armour and swords, banners, their clothes too. Only they looked cleaner than they were back then.  
  
How did this guy know Hitomi?  
  
He watched as the man pulled Hitomi up in to his arms, Mamoru felt envious at his strength and the ease at which he lifted his sister with.   
  
He waited as the man adjusted his grip on Hitomi and said, "Where are you taking her?"  
  
The man ignored him and said instead, "She's your sister, you said?"  
  
"Yes. What are you going to do with her?" Mamoru demanded, gripping Hitomi's bag handle tighter  
  
He was ignored again, the man began to carry Hitomi over to the group of people towards the empty horse.  
  
"Hey!" Mamoru yelled  
  
The man looked at him "What's your name boy?"  
  
Mamoru hesitated then yelled "Mamoru Kanzaki! And yours?"  
  
The man grinned and replied "Allen Schezar, Knight of Asturia, it's a pleasure to meet you Mamoru Kanzaki! I would be honoured if you and your sister would accompany me to the country of Fanelia, it would seem to me that it would be your destination"  
  
Hitomi's brother shrugged.  
  
Mamoru watched as Hitomi was lifted onto a horse with a man in a green uniform, jet hair, and then jogged over to the group and Allen.  
  
He stopped Allen and asked, "How do you know my sister?"  
  
Allen smiled "All in good time my fried. Now, if you would be so kind as to share Celena's horse?"  
  
He motioned to the shorthaired woman who smiled, if somewhat vacantly. Mamoru shrugged and thought, as long as I'm with Hitomi. He climbed up behind the woman and held on fast as they broke into a gallop, determined to figure out all that was gong on.  
  
All this was too confusing, Hitomi had barely told him anything about this world, he'd known she was hiding things about it but didn't want to stress her out. Especially with the baby. And now Fanelia? Where and what was Fanelia? He set his mind on figuring it out.  
  
* * * * * *   
  
Hitomi opened her eyes to the jogging of the horses' gallop and the warmth of someone's arms.  
  
"Van?" she murmured before she could stop herself, and blushed as she heard someone laugh out loud  
  
Looking up at what held her on the moving animal, Hitomi gasped as she met the eyes of Gaddes, who had almost looked like an older Van for a moment. He looked exactly the same and grinned in a friendly manner.  
  
"No, I'm not the King of Fanelia, much as I'd like to be" he laughed good naturedly, "You've returned to us then, little Lady?"  
  
She bolted up as something hit her "Gaddes? Ho~ what? Where's Mamoru~ my brother?"  
  
"Back there, on My Lady's horse" Gaddes replied, adjusting his grip on Hitomi to let her see  
  
Hitomi peered out back into the dust to see Mamoru staring darkly at Allen. Allen himself seemed pretty much as he had before, the same old body language and the looks that made her heart flutter even now. Celena...his sister? Hitomi stared at her, unnoticed, she was beautiful, a trace of her mother's Hitomi guessed.  
  
So they had stopped, she felt her head and her stomach, they felt sort of heavy, as if they were carrying to much weight. She wondered how the baby felt. Four months and going through all this strain. She wondered whether it would affect it.  
  
Why was Allen in a big convoy like this? She wanted to talk to him but knew it would have to wait. It was good to see him again, and someone friendly. She knew they were in Asturia now, or at least near it.  
  
She looked again at Mamoru's expression, maybe he thought Allen was the father. Hitomi suppressed a giggle, as much as she had loved Allen it was hard to imagine him fathering anything but blue eyed boys like Chid.   
  
Hitomi sighed and called up to Gaddes "Where are we going? Where are we?"  
  
"We're on the outskirts of Asturia, not far from where we met you girl" he winked "We're actually on our way to Fanelia"  
  
Hitomi resisted the urge to sit up straight, her stomach doing a summersault "Fanelia?"  
  
Gaddes laughed, "Yeah, we've just been there for diplomatic reasons, and now we're going back because of you!"  
  
"Me?" Hitomi went pink "If it's too much trouble we can walk, we don't need you to take us"  
  
"Nah, the Commander made it his priority, seeing as you're more important than a report"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Nice to have you back girl" Gaddes said over the noise of the horse "You can tell us all about how you came back when we arrive"  
  
Hitomi smiled and watched the scenery roll past gently.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"You're an...angel"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
It was complete dark and around midnight when they reached the city hidden within Fanelia's sloping valleys, as they approached the flickering torches Hitomi could make out the shape of a half built castle and hundreds of small houses.  
  
Fanelia really hadn't taken that long to rebuild.  
  
Distant watchmen's echoes floated out eerily to tell them their presence was known, and Hitomi heard Allen send men ahead to alert the garrison of their arrival formerly.  
  
Ready at last to get off the saddle Hitomi tiredly felt her stomach and smiled once more at the way it seemed to curve of the muscle gently.  
  
As they drew in through the half formed gates of the site (a wooden fence with a gate) crowds of people tiredly made their way out to see who was coming in at such a late hour and several sentries stifled yawns as they began to lead the troupe to the castle's shell.  
  
Hitomi looked around as best she could, seeing faces in the dark and the streets filled with people gossiping.  
  
"Why have the Asturians returned so soon?"  
  
"Trouble, I'll bet"  
  
"Look, they have children with them!"  
  
"Maybe they found them out in the woods, lost maybe"  
  
"Wait, one of them is that girl..."  
  
"Girl? Wait, I see the resemblance but it can't be!"  
  
Hitomi tried to ignore the comments but so many people had seen her on her first arrival with Van that it was impossible to keep them all from noticing her. So she shrunk into Gaddes's hold and tried to keep her face hidden from the firelight.  
  
The castle of Fanelia had been rebuilt considerably, it was a shell still but all the foundations were in place and the first floor was apparently finished so the King had a place to sleep and places to hold meals and meetings and his servants also had places to live and work.  
  
Gaddes told her jokingly about how Van had tried to convince the people he had no need of a castle but had woken up to find the foundations being built.  
  
Hitomi smiled and looked up, there was Earth, pinned behind the silvery moon and once again she marvelled at her situation, that she had travelled across space to come to a world of which no record was found and yet was quite obviously real.  
  
She stifled her own yawn and wiped her eyes as they came to a stop outside the castle's doors.  
  
She saw Allen step down off his horse, a white mare, and he came over, bowing first then, pulling Hitomi off the horse, swept her up in a great bear hug.  
  
"Allen, you're choking me" Hitomi smiled, wiping a few stray tears with one arm   
  
"Hitomi" Allen replied "I hope you will forgive me but I had gotten into the thought that I was never going to see your beautiful face again" he let her go and got down on one knee "I deserve to die for my rudeness, please, what can I do for you to forgive me?"  
  
For a moment Hitomi had thought Allen serious but his smile gave it away and she pulled him up as Mamoru rushed over, after falling off his horse. Shouts inside the castle let her know that soon he'd be out, the one she needed to see, and she needed to keep that moment away as long as possible. What would she say?  
  
"Hitomi!" Mamoru cried, wrapping his arms around her "I thought you were dead, you can't do this kind of thing in your condition! You need to be resting or something" even he seemed close to tears in the dark, she could see them glittering "Don't do that again!"  
  
Hitomi pushed him away and said "Don't worry, I don't plan to"  
  
Mamoru nodded and then handed her her sports bag.  
  
For a moment Hitomi felt like laughing, even in the situation she was in, the old sports bag seemed to have the good fortune of following her where ever she went, she marvelled at it's loyalty when a familiar voice yelled "Allen?"  
  
Hitomi practically hid behind Allen's tall frame as a small catlike figure bounded out of the castle with authority.  
  
"Allen!" Merle said tiredly "We're happy to have you but, I mean, well really, you just left!"  
  
Allen swept her dazzling bow and said smoothly "Dear Lady Merle of the half built Fanelia Castle, forgive our rudeness but we happened to pick up some rather suspicious characters along our route and thought it best to hand them over to the Fanelian authorities"   
  
"Whatever, Allen" Merle shrugged "Where are they?"  
  
"Why, right here" Allen moved out of the way to reveal Hitomi and Mamoru  
  
Merle stared, choked on a gulp of air, hacked, and then gasped "YOU!"  
  
Hitomi mumbled "Nice to see you too, Merle"  
  
"Who's the cat?" Mamoru said, baffled once more  
  
Merle ignored both these comments and rushed over, grabbing Hitomi's sports bag and began rummaging through it. A bizarre display of affection ensued as Merle insulted practically everything in it as Hitomi thumped her on the head, nether the less it ended up with them both having the mutual agreement that they were glad to see each other.  
  
"What are you doing here, Hitomi?" Merle asked  
  
"Well, it's a long story" Hitomi replied  
  
"Lord Van will be here in a moment!" Merle squealed "He's going to be...well...I don't know what his reaction will be but~ WOW!"  
  
Merle didn't know what to say, and in truth neither did Hitomi. They both were waiting for Van because they both knew that was going to be the one that would have most effect on Hitomi.  
  
Merle, instead of showing her discomfort eyed Mamoru, before pouncing on him with a yell of "And who's this weirdo Hitomi? He must be related to you, he practically reeks of garbage"  
  
Mamoru stared and then began pulling at Merle's ears with "Are these things real?"  
  
Promptly a fight had begun. Hitomi smiled, her relationship with Merle had begun the same way.  
  
Her attention was caught by a flurry of movement inside the castle door, and there was probably a set of stairs inside because Hitomi could hear someone fall down several then scramble up again to carry on running with a curse. Her heart did a few leaps and Hitomi felt her stomach get butterflies as the running drew closer. Would he be glad to see her? What if he'd found someone else? Four months was time enough for anything.  
  
Hitomi's doubts were flung aside as a half dressed figure practically fell through the doorway before pulling himself up quickly with a bow.  
  
"Allen, what's wrong, why ar~" Van stopped and stared.  
  
She smiled uncertainly, and the crowd grew silent around them.  
  
"Hitomi"  
  
* * *   
  
How was that chapter all? I think I may rewrite this one too, I'm so not good at judging these things! Please review! I hope you liked it! 


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I am so glad you liked the last chapter, yes, sorry about the cliff-hanger though! I can't help it! I love them so!   
  
AnimEd once again, thank you for your work on the last chapter a lot of the things you pointed out for me, I feel like I have a proof-reader or something ^^ I have gone back and corrected grammatical errors and such. About Allen drawing his sword on Mamoru, I guess I forgot to mention that mamoru DID actually hit Allen with a rock...I made that clearer in the edited version too. Hitomi choosing a random direction made sense to me, because I thought she needed the pendant to dowse with? Maybe? Anyway, I went and switched chapter 2 again and did all chapter five corrections.   
  
About the language thing, I guess you're probably right but I'll switch that later! Oh yeah, for josey(?) there will be no lemons in this fic. I don't even know how to write them 0_o or even think about them! I'm too innocent!! No, really!  
  
I was reading all my favourite Escaflowne fics again and I realised that this section of ff.net has A LOT of talented writers! I have so many fics book marked! Anyway, I've just been inspired into writing by Buffy The Vampire Slayer and a song called 'Rainbow' and all so here goes nothing! *listens to Hitomi's 'is it you?' on computer and smiles*  
  
Thanks again to everyone! I think this is my greatest number of reviews ever 0_o How do you spell Metalicca, as in the rock band? I need it for poor Mamoru!  
  
Disclaimer: no own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi smiled uncertainly at Van, who looked like she felt. His shirt was vacant, and the trousers he was wearing were the ones he had obviously slept in because they were crinkled, while his sword was in his hands rather than at his waist. His hair was also sticking out at awkward angles. Her pendant was hung around his neck.  
  
He looked at her, as if making sure he wasn't dreaming, blinking several times. Then he closed his jaw and looked at her properly, taking in her changes and her companion.  
  
He stood there for a few moments, everyone around had gone silent, waiting for a reaction. Even the Fanelians were silent for their lord to speak.  
  
Allen broke the silence tactfully "I see you've noticed our companion your highness" he said delicately, pushing Hitomi forward, "Yes, we'd like to announce the return of the Seer from the Mystic Moon"  
  
Van managed a nod before breaking into a smile "It's good to see you, Hitomi"  
  
The whole crowd could be felt relaxing, and people began to bustle back to bed now that the King had spoken. Only the servants stuck around as Allen's soldiers began to dismount their horses, taking them away to rest. The Asturian people stretched and began to follow several guides to be shown where they could camp or stay for the night while Hitomi, Van, Mamoru, Allen, Merle and Celena stayed where they were.  
  
Hitomi seemed to notice Celena for the first time and they shared a small smile, Hitomi saw the likeness between her and her brother and wondered if the same existed between herself and Mamoru.  
  
"I think we'd better follow the men" Allen said, motioning Celena and then he bowed to Van once more "I'll be glad to speak more in the morning, of course"  
  
Van nodded "Of course"  
  
Allen and Celena bowed their way away after their troop and disappeared. Merle also made a quick exit, saying that her sleep was vital for her beauty.   
  
So it was left at just Hitomi, Van and Mamoru. Hitomi did all she could to stop herself from looking nervous, locking her hands in front of her.  
  
"So" Hitomi said, looking at the floor  
  
"So" Van replied, "How have you been?"  
  
"Fine. You?"  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Good"  
  
"Who's this?" Van asked, nodding towards Mamoru pointedly  
  
"Ah" Hitomi said, remembering her brother "Van, this is my brother Mamoru. Mamoru, this is Van Fanel who's the King of Fanelia" she watched them stand off silently  
  
"A bit young for a King" Mamoru said quietly  
  
Hitomi hissed at him to be quiet and said to Van "I think...well...can we talk? We need to explain everything. Well, I need to explain some things"  
  
Van looked at her with one of those intense stares that made her feel like she was being looked straight into and then he looked away and shrugged.   
  
Mamoru, who had been watching them closely suddenly said, "Hitomi, this wouldn't happen to be him, would it? I thought it might have been the blonde guy but then he treated you more like a sister than this one"  
  
Van visibly bristled at the rude tone Mamoru was speaking with, he narrowed his eyes, and obviously he wasn't use to being insulted now he was King of his Castle.   
  
Hitomi took the warning signs and kept quiet. Obviously Mamoru was smarter than she had taken him for, how well did he know body language to figure out the father! She put her hand on her stomach protectively, she didn't want a fight to break out. Mamoru and Van stared at each other.  
  
"Well~" Hitomi began brightly but was cut off by her brother growling suddenly  
  
Mamoru took a run forward punched Van straight in the face. Van fell back on his feet but didn't topple over as mamoru had expected, Hitomi's brother paused for a moment in surprise before landing another punch on Van's shoulder.  
  
"Mamoru!" Hitomi yelled, "What are you doing?"  
  
He'd be executed or something if this carried on, if Van didn't kill him himself.  
  
Van didn't stay the punch bag for long and after the two punches he brought his own, more experience, fist up in a punch to Mamoru's cheek and well as two to his middle. They feel to the ground in a pile of kicks and punches.  
  
Hitomi didn't really know what to do, was it natural for boys to fight like this? After a few moments of watching the tussle in amazement, Hitomi reached down and began to pull them apart. Finding this ineffective she looked around for something to help her.   
  
A bucket of water stood next to the castle door. Running to grab it she came back steadily and then tipped it all over the pile of arms and legs.  
  
The both stood up in a hurry, drenched.  
  
"What are you doing?" Hitomi cried, "You two are like children!"  
  
"I'd like to know what he's doing!" Van replied, "You show up here and before I know it I'm being attacked! What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GOT HER INTO THIS MESS!" Mamoru yelled at Van "THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE!"  
  
Hitomi paled, the yell had echoed across the whole valley in the darkness. Van clenched his fist and looked at Hitomi "What mess? Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry "I'm..." she stopped "Mamoru, please go find Allen"  
  
Mamoru didn't leave, and he was already sporting the beginning of a black eye.  
  
"Mamoru!" Hitomi cried pleadingly "Go to bed"  
  
He hesitated, the he went with a small mumble of how he was only worried for her and then Van and Hitomi were left alone underneath the hot torches of Fanelia Castle, the night air cooling their skin.  
  
Hitomi felt her lip tremble and she said quietly "Can we start again please?"   
  
Van nodded and said, "How have you been?"  
  
Hitomi felt a tear slide down her cheek; she smiled, feeling a little foolish "I have had a pretty rough time lately"  
  
Van smiled and came over to her, wiping the tear away but presently causing a flood to fall from her eyes.   
  
"Oh Hitomi" he sighed, wrapping her up in his arms as she proceeded to sob uncontrollably   
  
* * * * * *   
  
"There's someone here"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Van stood for what seemed like hours with Hitomi in the courtyard. The tears never seemed to stop, all he could do was to hold her and feel the rush of emotion that he had felt with her when she had left wash over him again. The smell of her hair, the shape of her small frame, the feeling that made him want to laugh all the time. It all came back to his mind in a torrent.  
  
When she finally seemed to be calming down he said softly "Come inside, we're both getting cold and you're also getting me wet"  
  
He heard her sniff and she wiped her eyes, which had gone red and puffy. It was sweet in a way, he thought, she looked so much younger like that. He felt fingers on the pendant's chain and found her studying the stone and it's companion on the chain.  
  
"You put the ring on it" Hitomi said quietly, holding the small ring and stone in her palm together  
  
"Yes"  
  
Van pulled them out of palm, replacing the charms with his own hand and then began to pull her towards the castle.  
  
"I think you have a lot of explaining to do," he said simply  
  
Hitomi nodded and followed his lead. As she had guessed, there were steps in the castle door, a set of spiral staircase, she winced at the thought of some one falling down them and felt sorry for Van's descent of the flight. He led her up the steps and along a small wooden corridor, a few doors off one the side and windows looking out onto the city on the other.  
  
He opened the door of a dark room and went in, the room suddenly coming a light as he lit a stick of candles. It seemed to be a library, though hardly full of books, it seemed like most of Fanelia's texts had been lost in the fires that had raged after the Zaibach attack.  
  
He sat Hitomi down on a chair, putting a cushion on it for her then pulling up his own chair to sit right opposite her so their knees were almost touching. He then bustled around for food and water, managing to scrape up some fruit and a pitcher from his own quarters next door as well as finding himself a shirt and a blanket for Hitomi, who was still wearing her pyjamas from their run from the shadow people that very morning.  
  
It seemed like weeks ago.  
  
He sat down on the chair and waited while Hitomi engulfed the fruit and water, she realised what she was doing and then swallowed quickly. Finishing the rest of slowly, she tried to avoid his gaze. When she was finished though, she had no excuse to avoid his watchful eyes and ending up staring at his knees and wrapping the blanket tighter.  
  
"I got here this morning with my brother" Hitomi said quietly, knowing that she had to start the ball rolling "We were at the shrine where I first met you, Van. We were in a bit of trouble...well, a lot of trouble actually. So I prayed for help from Gaea, and here we are. A pillar of light appeared and saved us"  
  
"What were you in trouble from?" Van asked  
  
"Some people, I'd been having visions and a run in with them since a little while ago when...and they broke into our home while our parents were out to get what they wanted, they chased us to the shrine"  
  
Hitomi pulled at her fingers absently, how could she tell him? It seemed a little crazy, out of the blue, to just say 'oh yeah, I'm pregnant! It's yours, it has wings and everything, isn't it great?'. Yet what else was there to say?  
  
"What were they after?" Van looked at her straight, "You don't need to hide anything from me Hitomi, I want to help you"  
  
"I know that Van" Hitomi replied in a small voice, "Yet, it's hard to tell you what they want"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you might be upset with me"  
  
Van frowned "Hitomi, what have you done to make me upset with you?"  
  
"Nothing, at least I don't think I have"  
  
"What is it? Your brother told me I got you into this mess and I want to know what mess I got you into"  
  
Hitomi was silent, she could hear Van getting agitated in his uneasiness over her story. He was worried about her, but it was so difficult to say something like this. She was still a child herself yet she was having a baby of another child. They were all children! It was unfair and confusing!  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
"I'm having a baby, Van!" Hitomi yelled, standing up "See? It's a mess, Mamoru was right! But it's going to die and it's all my fault!" Hitomi burst into tears again  
  
* * * * * *   
  
"So. How have you been?"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi stood, wrapped in the blanket, and bawled. Van did barely any better, he just stared at the place where she had been sitting, repeating 'a baby' over and over again as if making sure he'd caught the words correctly. Wanting Hitomi to say she was joking or he'd misheard.  
  
He snapped his head up "Is it mine?" he gasped, finally taking in her words but distorting their meaning in confusion, what other thing might upset him?  
  
Hitomi looked at him before pulling back her wrist and slapping him across the face, he didn't fall with it's force, and knew that his newly formed black eye from Mamoru was becoming worse thanks to his sister. He cursed himself for such a question, how could he doubt it? Of course it was his. A child. He wasn't ready for this, he was 15.  
  
He put his head in his hands, what had he done? How could he have been so stupid?  
  
Wait.  
  
He looked up and found Hitomi sniffing, her tear blotched face even worse, her tears were dry and she was looking at him with a sort of fear of what he was going to do with her now he knew. She's afraid, he realised, she thinks I'm going to leave her.  
  
Van pulled himself together for Hitomi and mustered his strength over the shock to smile at her warmly. She blinked then smiled back.  
  
"How many months?" he asked  
  
She rolled her eyes "Four, Van"  
  
He leant back "Four, Gods. It seems like an age ago" his shock was settling in to become a faint bewilderment and a feeling of being dazed, he laughed a little and put his head back in his hands "A baby. That's why he punched me, well, he was right to I guess. If MERLE got pregnant now I'd do the same thing"  
  
Hitomi sat back down opposite and put her fingers round his hand, he squeezed reassuringly.  
  
"I don't know what to do" Hitomi said uncertainly "I only found out a few days ago"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Then the visions started"  
  
Van looked up, the dazed feeling replaced by a stab of fear "The visions of these people?"  
  
Hitomi nodded and held out her burnt wrist.  
  
Van looked at it, "They're after the baby then"  
  
Hitomi nodded and said "And so is practically the whole of my world, Van"  
  
He stared, what would so many people want with a baby? She looked genuinely afraid though and he noticed her held her hands over her stomach in a way she'd never done before.  
  
"The baby has wings," Hitomi said "That's why they all want it"  
  
Van looked at her, and then at her belly as if expecting wings to sprout out of the skin and flap at him. It was definitely his then, a little Draconian blooded baby, just like him. So her world was after it. Hope lit up inside him, maybe she would stay now, stay here with him.  
  
"What would they do once they have it?" Van asked  
  
Hitomi paled "I don't want to think about it, especially these shadow people who don't even seem human"  
  
Van nodded, he pulled back his chair and knelt on the floor, taking his hand from Hitomi he placed his palms on her stomach. Hitomi blushed but said nothing and sat watching him, apart from the shock, Van seemed to glow. Whether it was from his touching her stomach and feeling where his own child lay or whether it was them being back on the same world, Hitomi did not know.  
  
After a few moments Van got up and said "Right" with authority, "You need to get some rest. I'll send for sentries to be posted outside your room, we don't know whether these 'shadow people' will be able to track you"  
  
As well as the guards, Van also sent for a sleeping pallet and bedclothes which he set up in the library where they were, Hitomi assumed it was for her but was surprised when Van said, "You'll be next door"  
  
"What?" asked Hitomi, looking towards the door "Isn't that your room?"  
  
Van shrugged "It has one of the best beds I've ever slept in"  
  
"I can't sleep there, Van! Let me have the pallet"  
  
"No. It's draughty and cold in here, you need warmth and comfort in your condition"  
  
Hitomi frowned "Van, I don't want to be treated differently, I'm only at four months. There's barely even a bump"  
  
Van began to lie down and said firmly, "Suit yourself" he shut his eyes and, to all appearances, seemed fast asleep.  
  
"Van?"  
  
No reaction. Hitomi watched him for a moment to see whether he was faking sleep but then as she saw his breathing slow it was clear that he actually had fallen asleep. Hitomi sighed, she didn't want everyone to treat her so differently at this stage, it was only four months and she could still see her feet.  
  
Deciding to take the bed offered as a wave of tiredness swept over her, Hitomi yawned and made her to the room next door, finding what did seem to be the softest bed she had ever felt. The people of Fanelia had a knack for bed making it seemed.   
  
Although he was in the next room, the ruffles and already slept in sheets made Hitomi feel closer to him than when they were even in the same room. His smell clung to the material and it soothed her as she fell asleep imagining his voice.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The light filtered in through the material at the windows for early morning, the birds were singing once more as Hitomi had a sound night's sleep in Van's bed.  
  
She woke up feeling refreshed, as if nothing had ever happened. Then she remembered the previous day's events and rolled over, hoping she wouldn't have to get up to face another day of things like that. A sudden feeling of nausea hit her and she pulled herself quickly out of the bed.  
  
"Bowl, bowl, bowl, bowl!" she called out to anyone in particular who might be nearby  
  
Forgetting Van was in the next room she cried out as the door flew in and a drawn sword appeared along with Van, still in the same clothes as last night but looking a lot rougher.  
  
"What's happening?" he cried groggily, waving the sword around for the danger  
  
Hitomi looked up at him from the floor and said, "I need a bowl, quick!"  
  
Van hesitated for a moment but no longer as Hitomi suddenly turned green in front of him, yelling out into the corridor for a bowl but it was too late. By the time the bowl appeared the sheets had already been wrecked in its place.  
  
An hour later Hitomi appeared down in what was called 'the mess hall' but wasn't more than lines of benches set up in the castle courtyard at the meal times. It was still early in the morning and Hitomi's watch (although she still wasn't sure it told her the right time in Gaea) displayed 7:45 to the world.   
  
Van had told a maid to clear up her mess, and Hitomi couldn't apologise enough to the poor woman and to Van, it was his room after all. Van had left her to get dressed in some borrowed clothes that were apparently sent to her from Celena and said that he'd see her later, there was Castle to sort out etc.  
  
Hitomi couldn't help feeling a little lonely, she knew he had things to do but she had thought that maybe they would have time to catch up. She didn't even know where all the other people she had come with were, Mamoru, Allen, Celena and all were somewhere else but she'd forgotten to ask where. So she'd just been sent along to 'the mess hall' for breakfast instead.  
  
Luckily, by the time she arrived at the field, most of the garrison were assembled and, despite the disturbance last night, seemed in high spirits and were all talking rowdily, queuing for food and drink. There were around five benches with around 100 places on each side and a smaller table at the top of the field for around 20 or so, Hitomi assumed these were for the commanders and Van.  
  
The field itself was enclosed in the Castle and four stone walls up to the height of one storey protected it form the wind, but the sun was shining brightly and so it was warm and sunny down on the dining area.  
  
Hitomi joined the queue to where the food was underneath a canopy and grabbed a tray. Breakfast consisted of some fruit Hitomi didn't recognise, bread, cheese and some sort of grain mixture that looked like a type of Oatmeal. She didn't want to drink mead for breakfast like a lot of the soldiers seemed to be drinking, or the green tea, so she grabbed a pitcher of water and exited the queue.  
  
She looked around the area with dismay, there were seats everywhere, but she knew no one. Suddenly a hand flew up from the small table at the head of the others, Hitomi squinted and discovered Celena waving brightly for her to join her. Hitomi smiled and made her way over.  
  
"I've been hearing such a lot about you Hitomi, Seer from the Mystic Moon" Celena smiled, "I'd be honoured if you would join me for breakfast"  
  
Hitomi nodded "Sure, I've also heard about you, you're Allen's sister right? Celena?"  
  
"Correct" said Celena brightly, biting into an apple type fruit "I was lost, but now I'm found again. Now I'm here, were you lost?"  
  
Hitomi smiled, unsure of what to say back, obviously Celena was just trying to forget the passage where she and Allen were separated. Hitomi couldn't blame her, she wouldn't want to remember that either. But lost? Hitomi didn't think she was lost, maybe it was a metaphor.  
  
"I'm really sorry, I don't understand" Hitomi replied  
  
Celena laughed "Sorry, I often don't speak clearly enough. I meant, were you lost when we found you? When you fainted?"  
  
"Oh!" Hitomi grinned, "A little, you see, I used to be able to know which way to go by dowsing. But I don't have my pendant anymore so I was a little lost"  
  
"Dowsing?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a little hard to explain but it's sort of like a compass...but not" she smiled "I'll have to show you sometime if I ever find anything else to dowse with"  
  
Celena smiled back "I'd like that. Your brother hit Allen with a rock you know"  
  
Hitomi gasped, "He did? Allen never said! I'm so sorry, he seems to have been more violent lately," she remembered the fight with Van gingerly, although it seemed amusing now than it had last night  
  
"Don't get upset, Hitomi. He was only protecting you" Celena said, "He was brave to stand up to Allen like that. Not many would"  
  
So Mamoru was more like Van than Hitomi had thought. She smiled proudly at her brother, it seemed he was growing up fast, the little boy with a Metalicca T-shirt.  
  
"So" Celena said, taking the finishing bite of her fruit "What will you do now you're here?"  
  
Hitomi thought for a moment then replied "I'm not really sure, I only got to the part where I was transported here. I didn't really have a plan after that"  
  
"I see"  
  
"Maybe I'll be able to stay here for a while, until...well until something happens" Hitomi said  
  
"I see" Celena began to pull her stuff onto the tray and stand up "I'm sorry to leave you Hitomi. But Allen is in conference with the King of Fanelia and I was requested to join them. Unfortunately I seem to have been distracted"  
  
Hitomi ducked her head "I'm sorry I kept you!"  
  
Celena smiled, brushing her shock of blonde hair from her eyes and said "Don't worry Hitomi, you didn't keep me, I wasn't planning to be there on time anyway"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Celena began to walk away "I said don't worry! You shouldn't be worrying in your condition"  
  
Hitomi's eyes widened as Celena disappeared from sight. Did Celena know she was carrying? How could she? Hitomi stared after her, it was impossible, and she had told no one but Van, her family and Yukari. Had she guessed? Hitomi looked at her stomach, was it showing already?  
  
Hitomi shook her head and began to eat her breakfast, inspecting the fruit carefully, she'd talk to Celena later.  
  
* * *   
  
How was this chapter? OK? Not OK? Please read, review and be happy all! Thanks for all your wonderful support! 


	7. Chapter 7

Congratulations to Ungoddess for being the first person to review chapter 6! We're going to have to start having competitions to see who can review first 0_o that would be fun! Thanks also for the proper spelling of Metallica, hurray! You also happened to guess a lot of what I was writing 0_o Ms Psychic!  
  
Anyway, new chapter, hurray! I've got situations in my head of what I want to happen but I'm not sure how to get there yet. I'll just write I think and see how it goes! You will tell me if I'm ruining this fic won't you? Fluff? No idea what it is!! Wait, wait, yes I do, someone explained it to me! Thank you! I'm not sure, it depends what happens...  
  
About tarot cards Axel, that is so cool about the meanings. Yeah I really didn't know anything about what I was reading but I was trying to copy the style of 'Hitomi's Tarot Reading' from the show. I always wanted to tarot read but I don't have time to learn all the meanings at the moment. Thank you for your info though.  
  
Ack, I'm pretty much stuck...how would you guys deal with a really upsetting end to the story? Because I had a thought to do something but then it would really make everyone sad so I'm pretty sure I won't be doing it...So happy ending or sad and longing ending? Or both? Anyway, did I mention I had a lot of ideas for this fic from a dream I had? For some reason it was my dream which then mixed in with Escaflowne and I dreamt about both! And then a couple of days I had another dream with Escaflowne 0_o  
  
Hey, I just heard the most perfect song for Van and Hitomi (well it seems that way) it's called 'Ai no Uta' and it's by a band called Every Little Thing and it just seems like a V/H song for some reason, it means 'love song' doesn't it? I didn't like it at first then it just grew on my and it just hit me how much this makes me think of Van and Hitomi...I'm listening to Ayumi Hamasaki cyber trance stuff at the moment...I feel like writing something violent.  
  
My Maaya Sakamoto page hasn't been updated for a while, the host has been messing up and so it won't let me update...BUT I HAVE SO MUCH NEWS! Hmm, this section is like a big long rant, really?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne!  
  
* * *   
  
It was soon after breakfast when Mamoru caught up to her on the way to the communal baths, apparently he'd been having a tour of the castle with some sentries he'd made friends with. He looked out of breath and someone had given him some clothes, a cross between Van's and Allen's, stylish yet functional Hitomi noted. His face had bruising and a black eye on the exact same side where Van's was, a prize of the punch up.  
  
"My head's spinning, Hitomi!" he gushed, he looked like he was spinning too "I've been told so much about this place and it's just...just...incredible. I feel like it ought to be impossible and yet here I am! Standing here!"  
  
Hitomi nodded, she'd felt like that too.   
  
"So I saw the city and stables and where they're building the Castle upwards and where they're quarrying the stone, it's like a history textbook mixed with science fiction! I've been up since dawn and I'm still buzzing," Mamoru stopped for breath and then said cautiously "So...how'd he take it?"  
  
Hitomi replied, "I don't know how he took it, what's the usual reaction? I think he was pleased...well, as pleased as you can be in these situations. I'm not sure what's going to happen though"  
  
"I just hope he's going to stick around for you" Mamoru said quietly, "I really want you to be happy Hitomi" he smacked his fist into his palm "And if he doesn't stick around then, then, well he won't like it"  
  
Once again Hitomi was surprised by her brothers maturity, not that wanting to punch someone was mature but the fact that he understood the situation and wasn't clouded by the images that children usually have of life. Hitomi knew she didn't hold these visions of adulthood anymore, the Destiny Wars had cured her of that, but she could remember the dreams she'd had as a child.  
  
"Anyway, I'm off to the stables again, I want to look at the horses we came in on, I've never seen horses this close before...well, apart from yesterday of course. Do you want to come?"   
  
Hitomi shook her head and nodded to the pile of towels and her sports bag in her arms and said, "I want to get a bath in before I do anything" then I want to find Van, she added silently "But you go ahead"  
  
Mamoru looked at her closely "Are you sure? I heard you threw up again"  
  
Did everybody know that? Great, she should have realised the castle was a gossip mill. Yet, she thought, that's probably the reason why Celena had said 'in your condition'. She had probably thought Hitomi was ill! Hitomi practically fell over with relief that her secret wasn't out yet. She wanted to ask Van whether it was a good idea to spread the word.  
  
"I'm fine" she assured her brother "It's just the..." she mouthed 'morning sickness' and he nodded secretively "Yeah, anyway I need a bath"  
  
"Alright, well, I'll see you around. Meal time probably" Mamoru waved and then jogged off, meeting up with a group of young sentries at a gateway a way off yelling back to her "This is so cool!"  
  
Hitomi envied his ease of making friends for a moment then headed towards the baths. She'd asked a maid if she could have a bath but was kindly explained to that since Fanelia's castle wasn't complete, all the occupants had to use communal baths. At Hitomi's horror the woman had laughed and told her that it was all right, the men and women went separate. It made things a little better, but not much.  
  
So she'd gone looking for the baths and found them in a corner of the castle, out of the way of all the other areas and hidden from the bustle of palace guards and chores being done. Apparently everyone was busy because when Hitomi got there, apart from the maid who showed her where everything was, there was no one else there to fill the room made for around 30 people.  
  
Hitomi was a little relieved, she was embarrassed even at the swimming bath changing rooms usually. So she took off her clothes and sank into the large hot water bath with a sigh to a seating platform below the water level.   
  
She closed her eyes and lay her hand on her stomach, feeling the slight bump under her fingers. Hitomi smiled and wondered whether it was a boy or a girl, it was nice just to relax and think about these things. It was still hard to get her head around the fact she was going to be a mother.  
  
As she moved her figure round the slight bulge Hitomi shot up out of the water as something shifted beneath her fingers and swelled. A movement? Hitomi relaxed and sank into the water, she didn't know whether it was normal for movements this early but if it was moving then surely it was alive and well enough to move.  
  
Van had taken it well, at least, she thought he had. She'd been expecting an explosion or being disowned. No one seemed to be reacting the way she'd have thought. Hitomi hoped he was pleased, but there was the fact that he was producing offspring without a wife and that wouldn't sit well on the Kingdom's advisors. It always happened in books that she read, the King would have an illegimate son and then the son and mother would be outcast and forced into exile because the King couldn't face the embarrassment of the situation.  
  
Well, it didn't ALWAYS happen, and Hitomi really did want a happy ending in her life. Van didn't seem the type to just get up and leave, or make her leave. And he'd seemed like he wasn't going to do something like that. He wouldn't, would he? Sure he was pushy sometimes, proud a whole lot, and a little stubborn at some times, but he wasn't like that. She was sure he didn't have that sort of dark side.  
  
Hitomi sighed, she was 15 and with a baby. Girls at school had called another girl a slut for the same situation. Hitomi was glad she wasn't at school to suffer the same treatment. It was comforting to know that she was away from that and in a world where babies at 15 were common, in fact, she remembered being told by Millerna absently that girls married at 15 usually and got pregnant as soon as possible to make sure that they'd get that part out of the way as soon as possible so they could get their figures back.  
  
Hitomi smiled, thinking of an image of herself with a sloppy figure, that wouldn't do well on track at all. She smiled slightly at the thought and then lay back more, to feel the water lapping on her skin and relax. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking how safe it felt here.  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
Hitomi snapped her eyes open and sat up, going bright red. Merle was peering at her from the other side of the bath near the door, sinking into the hot water with a sigh much like her own a few moments ago. The small, cat-like figure waded her way across to hitomi and plonked herself down next to Hitomi. Hitomi sank further under the water.  
  
"Your brother said you were having a bath," Merle said airily  
  
"Oh" Hitomi replied, sinking a bit deeper into the water wishing Mamoru didn't make friends so quickly after all  
  
As if reading her mind Merle announced "Your brother's a bit of an idiot, Hitomi. I mean he hit Lord Van! I'm glad he's not my brother"  
  
Hitomi hid a grin and replied coolly "I'm sure he thinks the same thing Merle"  
  
Merle ignored her and said "Lord Van's in an audience with Allen, Celena and that Gaddes man, I don't see why they're still here"  
  
"Why were they here in the first place?" Hitomi asked  
  
"Oh well..." Merle looked away and said, "You wouldn't understand"  
  
"Do you know? You don't, do you?" Hitomi asked grinning  
  
Merle put up her nose and said loftily "Of course I do. There have been disturbances on the border between Asturia and Fanelia"  
  
Merle splashed her tail a little and began to wash behind her ears.  
  
"What kind of disturbances?" Hitomi prayed that they hadn't been followed to Gaea  
  
"Well" Merle got up on the underwater seat and whispered in Hitomi's ear quietly, even though there was no one else in the baths, "I'm not supposed to know but, well there's a window ledge outside the meeting room and, apparently the merchants travelling between Asturia and Fanelia have been disturbed by people. Strange people they say, with faces like masks who are clad all in black"   
  
Hitomi's stomach dropped. It was impossible they could have followed her. Impossible. Unless...this was where they came from. Pulling away from Merle, Hitomi felt icy with fear. They could do nothing against these people even at their home. So what was going to happen now?  
  
She had to find Van, he'd know what to do. Hitomi had no idea how to stop these things, they were beyond her knowledge.  
  
Hitomi pulled herself out of the bath, hardly bothered about her appearance now until Merle said, "Hitomi, did you put on weight?"  
  
Hitomi stared at Merle then at her stomach, her jaw dropped from the comment, there was barely any difference unless you knew! Merle began to giggle, then Hitomi realised it had been a joke and it wasn't to do with the baby at all.  
  
"You rat!" she said, ducking Merle's head under the steaming water before getting out to dry off.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We're almost there," Van said quietly  
  
They were on their way to the shrine to lay Escaflowne to rest and Hitomi knew that, when they got off the small cart they were travelling on, she'd have to leave. She wanted to see her family again, but this wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to leave him.  
  
They small cart rocked to and fro and Hitomi had three fingers linked in with Van's own hand, it was only a small gesture of the depth of feeling that she felt for him. It was continually flowing through her as they travelled. Fanelia seemed to reflect that, the sky was clear and the sun was shining down on the treetops while birdsong hung in the air. A perfect day for travel.  
  
"Van..." Hitomi said quietly "Do you think Escaflowne will ever be used again?"  
  
"Not by me" he replied "Perhaps many generations in the future. Hopefully this peace will be long lasting"  
  
"I hope so," Hitomi said, looking out at the passing forest  
  
"So do I" Van sighed and he pulled something out of his pocket and spent a long time looking at it, Hitomi noticed it was the ring but said nothing to disturb him  
  
A call from the driver went up and the cart drew to a halt.  
  
"This is it" Van hopped out of the cart and stretched, saying to Hitomi "We'll be on foot from here, the shrine is around two hours walk into the forest"  
  
Hitomi nodded and climbed out, brining her trusty duffel bag. She looked at the cart and touched the wood delicately, this was it. Only a little while longer. She sighed and began to follow Van into the forest. The sun was very warm and soon her old school uniform (thankfully, it has been washed several times and mended) began to get stifling, she peeled off the jacket and hung it over her duffel bag, sighing as she stepped over several tree roots.  
  
The walked in silence for a long time and then resting a little at a stream they found along the trail, enjoying each other's company. Hitomi remembered she had felt very awkward alone with Van when she had first met him; he had seemed so arrogant and spoilt in the beginning, he'd been cold in the training room with Balgus and reluctant to be even near her.  
  
Merle was completely the opposite of course, stealing her pendant and finding any excuse to tease her.   
  
Hitomi peeled her fingers of her pendant, which she realised she'd been holding tightly, and remembered all the good times they'd had. Like at Freid when she'd been trying to teach Van to find a hiding Merle. Hitomi smiled, but even though that was a good memory, a lot of them were overshadowed by the looming war ahead and destruction of Fanelia behind.  
  
War seemed to occupy Gaea as much as it did Earth, it was sad.  
  
Stumbling over a rock, Hitomi landed onto her duffel bag with a yell, disturbing a crowd of birds from a nearby tree. Van looked back from his position ahead and began to make his way back through the undergrowth to help her.  
  
Hitomi lay on her bag, turning over to stare up through the dappled sunlight, her vision clouded by light. A shadow went over her and she smiled at Van.   
  
"You ought to be getting up you know," he said with a smile  
  
"I like it down here" Hitomi said  
  
"You need to go back sometime"   
  
Hitomi's good mood vanished, not that she'd been in a good mood, but there had been a certain amount of a good will toward seeing her family again. Now it was gone, she'd never see Van again.  
  
She felt her lip tremble and she turned over to lie on her belly on the duffel bag, away from Van.  
  
"Hitomi" he squatted down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder "Don't cry, you're making me sad"  
  
"Sorry" she mumbled  
  
The sat on the trail for a while, not moving or making a sound. Hitomi listened to Van's breathing above her and wished with all her heart that there was someway to stay with him. Who could tell whether she'd ever see him again? She took a breath and rolled over. A thought hit her.  
  
"Van?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She blushed a little and mumbled something incoherently.  
  
"What?"  
  
"May I see your wings one last time?" she asked quietly, directing her eyes away from his reaction "I want to make sure I remember..."  
  
He smiled sadly and pulled off his shirt, searching for a space to spread his wings without hitting anything, he moved away from hitomi and out into a clearing of a few trees and took a breath.  
  
Hitomi gasped as a rain of snow white feathers floated down from above her and she marvelled at the fact that the sight of him never ceased to take her breath away. Scrambling up she bushed through the undergrowth to wrap her arms around him tightly, careful of his wings, squeezing him tightly as if she'd never let him go. They stayed like that for a moment.   
  
"Hitomi, we'd better be going" Van said softly  
  
"Yes" Hitomi sighed, "I can't forget, I won't forget...it was all here. Never ever, Van. I'll say this all over again later I know it. But I don't want to forget it, you, me, this tree and this forest. Fanelia, Asturia..." she trailed off as he peeled her away from him  
  
"Don't think like that" he said smiling bravely "We're not even at the shrine, don't ever make good byes unless you're certain it's the end"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi found her way to the meeting hall after about half an hour of getting out of the bath. Leaving Merle to her own devices, Hitomi pulled on her gym clothes from her sports bag that she'd still managed to keep a hold on and asked for directions. Directions didn't seem to work in Fanelia castle as Hitomi soon found herself back in the living quarters when she'd been making her way to the opposite side of the castle.   
  
She cursed herself, how easy was it to get lost in two storeys that had windows everywhere? She must have taken a wrong turning somewhere. Then, as soon as she'd thought that, she heard voices coming from behind a large wooden door at the end of the corridor.  
  
"Allen, there's really no need for you to stay any longer"   
  
Van's voice, Hitomi headed for the door, but paused to listen for a moment.  
  
"Van you know we're needed to patrol the borders, we can't stay here. I doubt that the people in your city will be bothered by these...things" Allen replied, he sounded tired "We need to patrol the borders of Asturia. I'm sure they won't attack you"  
  
"That's what they all said about Zaibach, and we were burnt to the ground!"  
  
"Allen...we can stay a little while can't we?" Celena asked soothingly "A day or two won't make much difference, and I'm sure you'd love to catch up with Hitomi"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I really need you here Allen" Van said quietly  
  
Hitomi shook herself to stop eavesdropping and knocked on the door gingerly. A scuffle inside the room and suddenly the door was thrown open by Van, with his sword again. He pulled back when he saw who it was and then moved back to let the rest of the occupants see the visitor. Allen, Celena and Gaddes were also in the room, all looked relatively surprised to see her. Still not used to the idea that she was back it was strange to see her in a hall.  
  
She drew up her courage to ask straight out about the people in the forest, she opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Van, I~" she was cut off by a stab of pain in her stomach, she fell to the floor in pain  
  
"Hitomi?" Van yelled and threw down his sword, coming forward on his hands and knees, "Hitomi? What's the matter? Hitomi?"  
  
The pain was almost unbearable this time, and the baby inside her felt like it was screaming its guts out, Hitomi felt the tears of pain squeeze out of her eyes but she couldn't answer Van. The pain was too much, she could only moan and hold her stomach. It felt like the lower part of her body was being torn apart by nothing, pain weaving itself into every muscle of her being. Hitomi felt her body begin to convulse violently, a vision racking her mind.  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
A body of a dead angel lay in a shaft of life, lifeless eyes staring up to the sky forever more, black feathers falling silently around. A scuffle in the background and it the broken form was surrounded by shadows. They screamed and shrilled and then, carefully as not to step into the beam of light, they dragged the body into the darkness.  
  
Soon only the feathers were left as the feet were dragged into the darkness. Hitomi found herself in the beam of light, surrounded by figures with no one around, her tarot cards spreading themselves at her feet in patterns she'd never seen before and as she let out a terrified scream the light above her went out and she felt the cold air of the dark around her.  
  
Movement filled her ears and she felt icy grips on her arms and body as freezing burns were seared into her skin. She pulled and tugged but there was no effect.  
  
Out of nowhere another shriek filled the space and instead of a wordless, head splitting noise, words were formed.  
  
"We must have another"  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
"Hitomi?" they had all gathered around, Van and Allen holding her as the convulsions shook her body as Celena tried to calm her down by whispering comforting words in her ear. Gaddes had gone for help.  
  
The girl shook and gasped for air in reply to their efforts.  
  
"What's happening?" Van asked fearfully, grappling with Hitomi's wrists that were shooting out in all directions to grasp nothing but empty air   
  
"I have no idea" Celena replied, "I know almost nothing about medicine"  
  
"We need to stop the convulsions, we don't know whether she's suffocating" Allen said, trying to stop Hitomi's skull from shattering on the wooden floor "Her air ways might be closed"  
  
"Where's Millerna when you need her?" Gaddes puffed, sprinting down the hallway to them, he stopped for air and gasped "The nearest healers in the furthest area of town, Commander, I've sent out horses but we'll have to do something ourselves"  
  
Van cried out as Hitomi's hand wrenched itself free from his grip and pulled neck down towards her head then let go to grab his shirt, Van pulled Hitomi up from the floor and drew her into his arms, being hit all the time with the convulsions, her small frame battering itself against his bones.  
  
Hitomi's eyes shot open and she let out a gargled noise and gasped for breath through the violence and then managed a mangled gasp of "They're here" as she fell backwards, still finally.  
  
"No" Van felt a stab of fear at his heart as her words echoed around his mind, grabbing Hitomi's clothes he began to frantically undo the buttons to her shirt to the protests of the other people present  
  
"Van!" Allen grabbed Van's arms to prevent him from further dishonouring Hitomi, but Van flung his grip off and continued  
  
"What are you doing? Van!" Celena yelled  
  
"Shut up!"   
  
Van made his fingers worked as he reached the last button, the fingers seemed suddenly numb and clumsy, freezing cold as he tried to move the immobile clasps, and finally he seemed to finish the job revealing Hitomi's bra and vest top beneath. He pulled the vest top off and felt his mouth go dry at the sight.  
  
Handprints were burnt into her body, from her arms down to the waistband of her trousers. They all gasped and drew back from the injuries. Van was the first to react, he jumped up, pulling his sword back into his grip and raced down the corridor.  
  
"Van?" Allen got up and raced after him, blonde hair flying out in all directions and looking like a flame behind him "Van, what's going on? Where did the marks come from?"  
  
"We're under attack!" Van called back, finding a lone sentry and growling "tell the troops to search the castle, look for any unauthorised people, anyone not a servant or sentry, round them up"  
  
The man wavered.  
  
"Get to it!" Van said more loudly "It may sound stupid but do it now!"  
  
"Yes sir" the man sprinted off and Van moved to a window to stare across the valley  
  
The day seemed darker than it had and it seemed like the sun was behind a huge dark cloud. Van felt a sudden breeze whip around his chest and it chilled him. The palace was silent, no sign of the activity he had expected from his guards. If they were under attack perhaps that guard was dead already.   
  
"So" he said quietly "Now I get to see my enemy"  
  
Allen suddenly appeared at his side, but said nothing, his blonde hair waving lazily. Van was suddenly very glad that Allen and his men had brought Hitomi and her brother here, very glad that Celena had tried to convince her brother to stay a while. Van felt very alone at the moment, he knew he couldn't protect Hitomi from whatever was after her on his own. He couldn't protect his own child on his own, especially when it seemed these things were supernatural.  
  
Just when things had begun to die down in Fanelia, they were blowing up again, he had wished to see Hitomi again but obviously he was paying a price for it being granted.  
  
A guard ran up, holding his lance at the ready will a yell of "My Lords" he stopped to catch his breath and said "We've rounded up all of the people not in the army or of castle worker occupation"  
  
"Good" Van nodded, "Line them up in the courtyard, we're going to check each one"  
  
The man nodded and hurried off again.  
  
"Do you have ay idea what you're looking for?" Allen asked   
  
"I have a pretty good idea"  
  
"You think the men from the borders are here, don't you?"  
  
Van looked at Allen, his eyes were determined and he said, "I have no doubt"  
  
Allen look away across the courtyard where all the people found were being lined up. Allen sighed, he needed to know what was going on and he was sure that Hitomi and Van were in on the secret.  
  
"Do you know what's the matter with Hitomi?" Allen asked  
  
"Yes"  
  
"But you're not going to tell me"  
  
"No" Van said tiredly "Not yet anyway, I'm still not sure what I'm looking for. I only have second hand descriptions of who these attackers are, but I know from back there" he jerked his thumb in Hitomi's direction "That they're after something and that they're here right now" he strode out into the cool, open air of the courtyard and over to the group  
  
Allen stared after him, then sighed and began to follow him fingering his sword edgily.  
  
Van strode up and down the line of people until he came to a stop at one end, he turned around to face the group and said loudly "I'm going to ask each of you to come forward, anyone without a valid reason to be in the castle will be held in the custody of the castle"  
  
"But why?" the man in front of all the others asked, looking worried "We haven't done anything"  
  
Van frowned "It's not what you have done, it's what you might do. Now come forward, we need your name and business in the castle"  
  
They walked forward one at a time, and one at a time they were let on their way by the castle guards. Name after name was given and all reasons were checked and rechecked, the group left in the courtyard grew smaller and smaller. Three people, two people and then the last person.  
  
Van rubbed his arms against the chill wind that had appeared and looked at the last man. The man didn't seem bothered about the fact he was last or that he was to give his name and business next. He just stood with his back away from them and said nothing.   
  
"Hey, excuse me!" a Sentry called "Sir, you're to come and give your name and business"  
  
No reply.  
  
Van's frown deepened, he inspected the man from behind, the man wore a very broad hat and a black cape, hiding his features and causing Van to be unable to distinguish anything about the last man.  
  
"Mayhap he's deaf," a guard muttered  
  
Van shrugged and moved towards him, maybe the man was deaf, and there was only one way to find out. He began to walk towards the man, sure that he would detect van's movement, but even so, there was no reaction at all. Van drew closer and began to feel the hairs on the back of his neck go up, like just before a storm.   
  
"Hey" Van reached out and place his hand on the mans shoulder and began to pull him around "You're to sta~"  
  
The figure whirled around and grabbed Van's wrist in a death grip, Van pulled away as he began to feel pain stab into the skin where the man held his grip. Looking up frantically at the face he was horrified to find that there was no face, underneath the brim of the hat was a hood and then...nothing.  
  
A sentry yelled and then a shout of alarm went off and Van could hear a shout of a guard as they ran forward to protect him.  
  
Using his other hand, against the pain of one arm Van ripped out his sword and brought it down upon the limb holding him prisoner. It fell off and it the ground, but no blood was spilt. Falling back with the effort of the blow that had seemed to slice through the limb like a knife on hot butter, Van stumbled back as Allen flew in front of him and drew his sword.  
  
"Stand down" Allen growled and then narrowed his eyes at the empty hood "What's this?" he drew back slowly from the figure as a ring of guards surrounded it  
  
"This is what we're looking for," Van said lowly, he held his wrist to his chest, inspecting the painful blistered skin that the thing had inflicted on him, the skin burnt into an ugly hand shape  
  
"I see" Allen said, and called to the guards "Get it"  
  
The guards rushed forward, but in a moment, the thing had gone. Hat and all. And the Guards tumbled into the centre of their ring left with nothing but the wind and the quietly shadowed daylight.  
  
* * *  
  
How was that chapter? Was it ok? I was writing it and then I actually read a fic where Hitomi had a seizure with a vision 0_o after I had written this and it must be a weird brainwave we've all been sending around because the day I'd written it I went on ff.net and there was another fic with a seizure vision 0_o weird, huh? Maybe Hitomi's been sending visions of her own to all us ff.net writers! Sorry if that was your idea to give Hitomi a seizure with the vision, but, well, it was a great one so well done you! Hmm, maybe I should rewrite this chapter too, I'm not sure about the Hitomi/Van section, it seems a little OOC for Van, huh? 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for all the reviews once more, I'm still amazed that you like this story 0_o I'm still unsure with it. I'll probably never be happy with it. Last chapter was the longest I think so far, please don't expect it again because that took ages to write! I'm so pleased with your reviews though, thanks again! And again! And Again! Loooove long reviews, even if they do criticise me! Criticism welcome!  
  
Well, I'm still leaning towards a sad ending, well, not quite sad. It will have a sort of happiness in it. But there's still no reason why I should use it, I might end up with something more. This chapter might be rushed, I'm supposed to be studying for the biggest exams of my life so far and I'm...not. Oops. Just this chapter!  
  
I'm kind a leaning towards sad ending though...Well...bitter sweet!  
  
Hey I got a live journal account at so if you want to you guys can look and leave a comment or two ^_~ and if I feel evil enough I might post previews of new chapters if I get around to it. Fae Rain why did you read it if you thought it was going to be horrible? I do that all the time too but then I read them and they're really good! Thank you for giving this fic a try! You want a happy ending? Well, maybe there will be one and maybe there won't be! I might have both tossed in there!  
  
Why doe no one like Allen? He's cool! I don't like him as much as Van but he's not bad!  
  
Hey, since people want to be informed by email when new chapters are coming up, shall I set up a Yahoo! Group or something where I can just email out to a mailing list when a new chapter comes out? Or do you just want me to take down all your emails?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne!  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi found herself back in bed, Mamoru dozing lightly on a chair near her. She squinted in the bright light and found it to be late afternoon outside, whether it was the same day that she remembered it being or not, Hitomi couldn't tell.  
  
Her head was pounding, remembering the pain she had felt Hitomi bolted up in bed in a fit of worry over the baby. She instantly regretted it, feeling dizzy she fell back down to the covers and lay there as a wave of nausea swept her. It subsided fairly rapidly and Hitomi then got up more cautiously.   
  
She inspected herself critically, amazed at the amount of new burns she had, remembering her vision and shuddering. She counted up the ones she could see and had a total of 19 handprints on her body, burnt into the skin. She touched one and winced at the tenderness of the skin.  
  
Hitomi placed her hands on her stomach, the pulled them away with shock. She pulled off the covers and found her stomach had grown. It was definitely bigger than before her vision, the baby had...grown? In such a short amount of time! Looking at it closely she tried to measure it with her fingers and remember how it had looked before.  
  
"Woah!"  
  
Hitomi leapt a mile high as Mamoru yawned widely and looked at her closely.  
  
"When did put on weight?" he asked incredulously, "That's like...noticeable now. Do babies grow that fast?"  
  
"No they don't" Hitomi bit her lip, something was going on, was it something to do with the vision?  
  
A movement hit into her skin and she gasped as she said loudly "I don't remember it kicking before either"  
  
Mamoru jumped up "It's kicking? Ok, I'm sort of scared now"  
  
Hitomi raised her eyebrows in disbelief "You're scared? I'm the one it's in! Did you see it happen?"  
  
"What happen?"  
  
"The growth spurt!"  
  
"No" Mamoru admitted, "I've been asleep"  
  
"I realised that"  
  
What more could go wrong with this baby? Hitomi wondered desperately, first there were the shadowed people, and now this. Had the jump to Gaea shifted the baby's age or development? There was no way of telling the travelling affect on a foetus. Or maybe the vision had changed it. It was getting out of hand, as if having the actual baby wasn't enough!  
  
The baby was apparently relishing it's new found freedom as she felt it doing somersaults, she wouldn't have been surprised if wings had burst out of her skin at any moment because that was what it felt like was going on.   
  
Hitomi wondered if there were any medical conditions that could make it skip months of growth, she looked around a month bigger after a day! What was going on, she was starting to get frightened.  
  
Mamoru was babbling at her as well, and she only noticed when he said loudly "We'd better get you some help Hitomi, something could be wrong"  
  
Hitomi agreed that something could be wrong and indeed, it did look very wrong. But if the baby was healthy, wasn't that a good thing? She really needed to see a healer.  
  
"Mamoru, I want to get up, could you find me some clothes?" Hitomi pushed her legs over the side  
  
Mamoru went in search of clothes and was about to open the heavy wooden door when a sharp rap on the other side startled him, and the door pushed open easily to reveal Van and Allen on the other side. Hitomi dived beneath the blankets again to hide, even though she assumed that they'd seen the burns, and the seizure she remembered couldn't really have been hidden with them all there.  
  
Allen nodded at Mamoru, hiding a smile at the black eye he shared with Van, and glided easily over to Hitomi.  
  
"How are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare," he asked, smiling  
  
"Fine thank you" Hitomi replied, returning the smile before dropping it to look at Van seriously "Were they..."  
  
He nodded silently, watching Mamoru leave on the search of her clothes. He shut the door behind the boy and turned back to the room, checking the windows for some reason and adjusting his sword for the millionth time.  
  
"Hitomi, I think we need to let Allen in on this" he said calmly "Don't you think?"  
  
Hitomi hid under the covers and Van managed to catch a muffled "Fine".  
  
"Let me in on what?" Allen asked, brushing blonde away from his face and pulling up a chair before settling into it comfortably, "I assume it has something to do with yesterday's display?"  
  
Van nodded and perched on the end of the bed "I don't really know how to start, but..."  
  
* * *  
  
"That's quite a shock" Allen remarked, sitting back in the chair dumbfounded, staring at Van in disbelief and then at the lump in the bed that was Hitomi "So that man...or rather, thing...in the courtyard was who Hitomi was predicting? That's why they were running from the Mystic Moon?"  
  
Van nodded and said quietly "They want the baby"  
  
"I'm not surprised" Allen replied "The child of a Draconian and a Seer from the Mystic Moon, you don't get one of those very often"   
  
"No" Van agreed  
  
The sat in silence for a moment and realised that Hitomi was sniffling under the covers. Allen's face softened and he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder on top of the blankets, kneeling on the floor.  
  
"Hitomi? Won't you come out and tell me what you think of all this?" he asked softly  
  
Hitomi's red and puffy face appeared through a crack in the covers to peer up at the room's occupants.  
  
"I'm pregnant and it's all going wrong" came the reply and the tear-streaked face disappeared under the quilt once more  
  
Allen grinned at Van and then said to the Hitomi-lump "I did realise that Hitomi, now come out and tell us what's wrong"  
  
The lump moved and Hitomi said quietly "Tell Van to leave or I won't come out"  
  
"Hitomi?" Van protested "Why?"  
  
"Please let me talk with Allen" the lump responded  
  
Van glowered at Allen, and then shrugged it off and strolled out the door with a sigh of "I'll wait outside then"  
  
The door shut and Hitomi peeked out of the covers, checking he was gone and then pulled them off her face and took a breath.  
  
"Better?" Allen asked  
  
"Much" Hitomi smiled, it faded slightly as she said, "I don't want him to know"  
  
"What don't you want him to know?" Allen asked kindly  
  
Hitomi paused and said, "Allen, what do you know about pregnancy"  
  
"Well, not as much as a healer but a fair amount, in the field we need basic medical knowledge. Unfortunately I can't handle anything like seizures so I was a little helpless when you went out" Allen replied "But pregnancy I know from...well"  
  
Hitomi nodded and then began to pull herself up to a sitting position again, blushing from being in her underwear but not bothering to be anymore embarrassed about it. She heard Allen suck air through his teeth at the burns and she grimaced at them once more as they stung, he smiled sympathetically at her.  
  
"Why don't you want Van to be in here?" Allen asked, to the point  
  
Hitomi hesitated then threw the covers off so that down to her hips was exposed, Allen stared and Hitomi blushed before pulling the covers back up and lying down painfully.  
  
"I see" Allen said slowly "I don't recall seeing that there"  
  
"It wasn't"  
  
Allen frowned "I didn't even realise you were carrying when we were on the road so how did it suddenly spring up over night?"  
  
"No idea" Hitomi admitted, she looked at the ceiling "I don't want Van to know because I don't even know what's happening to me. And if he thinks that there's something wrong and it's the fault of those...things, then he'll just go charging off to the border or wherever to kill them all and most likely get killed him. I don't want a fatherless child"  
  
"Makes sense" Allen said "But sometimes it's best to tell the truth, with your stomach like that know we can't hide it much longer, even with baggy clothes"  
  
"I know" Hitomi sighed "I have no idea what to do"  
  
"Has anyone else seen it?"  
  
"Only my brother"  
  
"And who else apart from me and Van knows your pregnant?"  
  
"Only my brother"  
  
"And after him?"  
  
"No one"  
  
Allen sighed and looked at her, full of compassion, he sat back in the chair and rubbed his eyes with a gloved hand "Oh Hitomi, what will become of you?"  
  
Hitomi shrugged and smiled "I don't know how it all happened, one minute I'm running track, the next Van runs into my life. I should blame my grandmother really, she's the one who started it all"  
  
Allen chuckled and said, reaching over to grip her fingers "I hope you know that I'll be here to help you out, for as long as we can stay anyway. You know I think of you as one of my own family"  
  
"I know" Hitomi said, patting Allen's hand "What shall we do about this bump then?"  
  
"Nothing we can do other than find some really baggy clothes and say the others are in the wash" Allen replied standing up "If you really don't want Van to know then I won't say anything but you ought to tell him. You know how he gets"  
  
Hitomi grinned then nodded and lay down to cover up again as Allen bowed and opened the door, Van leaning on the wooden rail opposite, wearing his trademark frown. He nodded and walked past Allen into the room, shutting it behind him. He waited till he was sure that Allen had gone and then strode across the room to sit in the chair that both Mamoru and Allen had sat in that day.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked  
  
"Fine"  
  
"There's salve on the table over there for the burns, the healers dropped it off while you were asleep" Van said, nodding in the direction of the bottle  
  
Hitomi noticed his wrist and said, "Looks like you need some too"  
  
Van moved his arm out of sight and replied, "It's nothing"  
  
Hitomi frowned and then said sharply "Don't say that" she moved to sit up but he pushed her back down again "Van, you should have told me last night!"  
  
"Told you what?"  
  
Hitomi frowned and said "You know what Van Fanel, you should have told me those...those...things were here!" she burst into tears "And now they've gotten you too!"  
  
Van stared at her, sobbing into the bed sheets, he admitted her should have told her but he hadn't been thinking straight. Was it everyday you got told that you were the father of a baby? He hadn't even been sure these were same people, he was now of course, but then it had just been rumour.   
  
He was torn as what to do, even now, he was a bit uncomfortable to do what he thought men should do in this situation. Offer comfort. And he'd not hesitated the night she had come to offer comfort, but now...it felt wrong that he should offer comfort when he was the thing she was mad at. Were women always so confusing?  
  
He found a piece of cloth on the table next to the chair he was on, reaching over he grabbed it and then offered it to Hitomi.  
  
Hitomi looked at him as if he'd gone mad and then began to smile, then to laugh and she took the cloth from him. Van stared even more, no, he would never figure out girls. Happy one moment then sad the next.  
  
They sat there for a moment as Hitomi laughed and then Van began to laugh with her, not really getting the joke but happy that she was happy again.   
  
As they got over their laughing, Hitomi sniffed and said "Well?"  
  
Van sighed and said "I should have, but...it's not everyday you get told you're about to be a father"  
  
Hitomi nodded, he had a point.  
  
"Hitomi, when we rounded up all the people in the castle when you had your vision" Van said, "There was one here, and, well, he didn't have a face. He didn't even say anything, he just grabbed my arm and burned me then disappeared. Into thin air. Everyone saw it and they expect me to tell them what happened and I just don't know what to say to them"  
  
Hitomi looked at her burns and said quietly "I was thinking, maybe these burns are marks for them to identify us with"  
  
"Identify us?" Van questioned looking at his own wound "Why, they just want the baby don't they?"  
  
"Van, my vision" Hitomi looked at him seriously "I saw Folken"  
  
"Folken?" Van asked loudly and Hitomi could see him visibly tense up, "Is he alive? The body...was never found. Is he alive, did you see him?"  
  
Hitomi bit her lip and shook her head sadly, "His body was taken...in my vision, and those things stole it"  
  
Van clenched his fist and Hitomi continued, "I heard a voice saying 'we must have another' and...I think I know what that means"  
  
"What?"  
  
Hitomi reached over and grabbed his wrist and said, "They want you Van, and the baby, they want a Draconian!"   
  
Van stared at her and then pulled his wrist away, standing up "Why would they want that?"  
  
"I don't know" Hitomi said exasperated, throwing herself back onto the pillows "I only know what I saw and what I think I know"  
  
Van paced the room and said "A Draconian, but why? What would they need a Draconian for? Strange. So that's where the body was after the battle, and we searched so hard" he stared at his wrist and then back at Hitomi and he said carefully "And they've found me out too"  
  
Hitomi nodded and said quietly "Where's our happy ending, Van?"  
  
* * * * * *   
  
"You're...an angel?"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Mamoru was shifting through Hitomi's sports bag, which had been in his room near to Allen and his troops, by the window over looking the courtyard when Merle bounded in front of him and snatched away the pager from his grasp.  
  
"Hey" Mamoru said and tried to get it back off her again  
  
Merle eyed him and them pocketed the pager with a smug grin quickly, dodging out of his hands reach. Mamoru stared at the cat girl, she had ears just like a cat but then she seemed human too, it was quite perplexing being here. But then, Hitomi seemed so at home here. With that...guy.   
  
"Give it back," he growled at the cat girl  
  
Merle buffed her nails on her shirt and replied, "Not gonna"   
  
Mamoru made a grab for the pocket and yelped when Merle slapped his hand away from her.  
  
"What ARE you?" he said exasperated "Just give me back my sister's pager!"  
  
Merle sniffed and said "Tell me what YOU are first, a demon from the Mystic Moon maybe?" she jumped onto a chair and asked, "Do you have visions too?"  
  
"Visions?" Mamoru gaped "What are you talking about?"  
  
Merle raised an eyebrow "Well...you're about as smart as a brick. I see you have the same genes as Hitomi in that area then"  
  
"Hey~ wait!" Mamoru yelled as Merle leapt out into the hall with the pager and bounded away through the half-finished castle  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hitomi was sleeping again when Mamoru returned to the room, without the pager returned unfortunately, and he found that the boy, Van, was sitting near her easily propped up with his sword resting against his shoulder. Mamoru stared for a moment, a little envious of this King who practically (to Mamoru at least) reeked of coolness.   
  
He was just a little older than Mamoru himself and was already this respected war hero and King who he'd heard nothing but good of on his tour of the castle. At least Mamoru could take pride in the fact that they sported matching black eyes and that he had given this great King a black eye.  
  
What did Hitomi see in him anyway? They way everyone in this place acted together...well, not everyone, only a few select people seemed to be in on it i.e that Allen guy and his sister, the cat girl, this King and his sister. Anyway, these people acted like they'd been through this huge ordeal that he could only guess at.  
  
Four months ago his sister had changed, he hadn't known it then even though in the last week or so it had become obvious but she had changed from visiting this place. No longer was she the naïve teenager she once was, she had grown into a woman over night. A woman stuck in a child's body it seemed.  
  
He didn't look good enough for her, Mamoru was protective over this sort of thing, was this guy just going to drop her? Sleep with her, get her pregnant then drop her? It seemed like there were so many jerks like that on Earth...but, looking at him, eyes shut, on the floor even though there was a chair next to him. To be the closest to her that you could be without being invasive. He didn't seem the kind of guy to drop her and Hitomi seemed sure enough he wouldn't.  
  
He hoped she was right.  
  
Clearing his throat he walked into the room saying loudly "I brought some clean clothes" Hitomi didn't stir  
  
The guy's, Van's he correct himself, eyes shot open and the sword was halfway to being out before he automatically dropped it back to it's propped up position after seeing who it was.  
  
That envious feeling came back to Mamoru, he was so good with a sword. Looking at the sword, Mamoru saw it was edged with gold on the hilt and he marvelled at the craftsmanship, simple yet elegant.  
  
The King saw where he was looking and said quietly "It's the sword handed down to each King of Fanelia, it symbolises the duty to his country and people, that he must protect them and rule them justly" he looked at it almost lovingly "It's helped out more than it's fair share"  
  
Mamoru made no answer and he laid the clothes out over where Hitomi's feet made bumps in the blankets. He made to exit the room but the King said, "Wait", getting to his feet and came towards him saying "Let's go for a walk"  
  
Mamoru hesitated, looking at his sister, wondering whether they could leave her. Then he nodded and headed out the door with the young King.  
  
"Your name is Mamoru?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"My name is Van"  
  
"I know"  
  
After this they walked in silence out of the palace and out behind the city, where the rocks began to tower above the buildings and people came by less frequently. They both began to climb, higher and higher driven by slight boyish competitiveness to see who could climb higher than the other up the steep piles of rocks.  
  
Reaching a plateau above the city, they stopped for a rest, not realising they had spent a good part of the day climbing in silence, having set out before lunch and now it was coming up to late afternoon. Hitomi would be up by now, Mamoru guessed, hoping she wasn't worried for him.  
  
They sat on rocks, looking out over the busy city. Building here, a market place there, people going about their daily lives. Mamoru had taken in that a lot of the city was made up of women, the men being his age or younger or old with a few in between these ages scattered about.  
  
"You wouldn't believe less than a year ago this place was razed to the ground"   
  
Mamoru looked up at his companion, seeing his eyes iced over with an old pain. So that's where the men had gone, there had been a sort of fight.  
  
"Your sister was here that day" Van said clenching his fist "Did she tell you?"  
  
Mamoru shook his head, secretly shocked Hitomi had left out such a detail.  
  
"Did she tell you about the war?"  
  
What war? Mamoru wondered. He'd heard a brief account from Hitomi that she had been here and met a few people then come back. No information on how aged she had become or where that lucky pendant had gone, now that he thought about it. He'd seen it hang out of this Van's collar on the way up here.  
  
"No" he replied  
  
Van smiled bitterly "Not that I'd want her to remember it" he thumped the rock, agitated "She was in the thick of it most of the time too. And no one wants to see people die"  
  
"She was fighting?"  
  
"No, but she caused it sometimes, just like I did" he looked at his hands "I killed for her, and for me and Fanelia. For the whole of Gaea even. But even so, we saved Gaea. Did she tell you that?"  
  
"I never even knew this place existed until two days ago" Mamoru admitted  
  
Van nodded, "I thought all people on the Mystic Moon were demons until I met your sister" he paused "Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime"  
  
Mamoru grinned, "I'd like that"  
  
Van smiled and then said "Would you like to learn to sword fight while you're here? If your sister needs protecting then I think you'll need to be able to handle a weapon. Of course I'm not half the swords master Allen is or our master Balgus was but I can try. And we can see if Allen wants to help as well"  
  
"Great"  
  
In what seemed like the beginning of a mutual understanding the two young men began to make their way back down to the castle, not even bothered that they'd done nothing really on that half a day but both knowing that through Hitomi they'd formed an understanding. It also seemed that their matching black eyes were another symbol of this mutual understanding.  
  
* * *   
  
How was that chapter? I hope it was alright! Please review, and make sure you comment on the Yahoo! Group thing, say hi if you have a live journal! 


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, it's so nice to know that you like the story so far. Thanks for everyone's reviews, and for The Reader is Now Blind, they have matching black eyes from their tussle. ^^;; they punched each other so now they have black eyes.  
  
Thanks for reading, I can't believe we passed the 200 reviews mark, this is the most reviews I have ever gotten for a story. Amazing. I can't believe what a response you have given to me. It's really nice to read your reviews and know you have an opinion on this story.  
  
And I know my grammar is weak! That's what will end up making me fail my exam in a few weeks ;_; oh well! Thanks for reading anyway!  
  
About the ending, as you may know if you visited [plug] my Live Journal [/plug] that I'm planning on writing two endings and posting both of them. Then if you want a happy ending, you press 'happy ending' or whatever and if you don't want the bubble hearts and flowers ending you can click 'sad ending' or whatever. More on that later on. Now, back to work. I don't mean bubbles and hearts in a bad way...  
  
Well, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I've had an exam and my birthday and I'm having to learn a monologue and my French speaking presentation. Too much! Anyway, only three DVD's to go before I complete my collection of Escaflowne ^^ yay!  
  
Just a note, when I saw football I mean the football with the black and white ball which I think is...soccer for some of you? I don't know. But it's the football which the UK is crazy about (well...not me!).  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *   
  
Hitomi managed to get up for dinner and she rubbed the cooling salve into her burns, amazed at how much better it made them feel. She had no idea where Mamoru and Van had disappeared though, but she had clean clothes laid out for her and at the moment that was enough.   
  
Unfortunately her bump looked like she had a large belly. It wasn't as big as it was going to be but it was still large enough to notice and not pass off as a beer belly. She eyed herself in the mirror and turned to the side and then to the other side, inspecting herself cautiously.   
  
"You, my friend" she told her reflection, "are a magnet for trouble it seems"  
  
"I agree completely"   
  
Hitomi spun around to see Merle sitting on her window ledge having pried open the window itself. The cat girl pruned herself delicately and then jumped into the room, flinging the pager at Hitomi, who barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor.  
  
Merle leaped into the room and said loudly "I stole it off your brother"  
  
"I see" Hitomi replied, shoving the pager into her pocket "And you stole it because?"  
  
"I just wanted to annoy him" Merle said stretching, "After all, he punched Lord Van"  
  
"Ah" Hitomi smiled  
  
"Anyway" merle continued, peering at Hitomi "You HAVE put on weight"  
  
Hitomi turned briskly away and said "How rude"  
  
Merle wasn't discouraged and instead ploughed on with "That was SO not there when you were in the bath. When I said you'd put on weight I was kidding, you know. You didn't need to eat so much at dinner to prove me right"  
  
Hitomi blushed and said nothing.  
  
"Well" Merle said slyly "If you don't work off that fat soon the rumours will start flying, Hitomi"  
  
Hitomi snapped and spun around with a yell of "I'm pregnant you fool!"  
  
"Ha!" Merle snapped her fingers and laughed, "I knew something was up! Your breasts seemed SO much bigger in the bathhouse" she giggled "And I remember you being flat chested four months ago. Well...practically" she ducked as a pillow flew past her head  
  
Hitomi threw up her hands and sighed. Now someone else knew.  
  
"And besides, my ears are so good I could hear Lord Van and your brother talking about it a mile away. They came back around ten minutes ago" Merle said proudly  
  
Hitomi smacked her forehead; boys will be boys she reasoned. Still, they didn't have to talk about it that loudly.  
  
"I can't believe this" Hitomi cried flopping down in a chair "Is there anybody you doesn't know?"  
  
"Quite a lot of people" Merle shrugged "I'm just hurt you didn't tell me, Hitomi"  
  
Hitomi smiled and said "We were trying to keep it quiet"  
  
Merle grinned, "Oh come on Hitomi, we're a very closed off Kingdom, news spreads fast. How long are you expecting it to stay under wraps with that belly? People will talk you know"  
  
Hitomi sighed again and said, "I can't do anything about it"  
  
"How did it get so big in a day?" Merle asked  
  
"I don't know, I woke up and it was like this"  
  
"I heard about what happened in the castle yesterday too, are you alright?"  
  
"As much as one can be in these situations" Hitomi replied "Come on let's go to dinner"  
  
* * *  
  
"Sing it again"  
  
* * *  
  
The dining courtyard at the centre of the castle was much fuller than when she had eaten her breakfast with Celena in there. The soldiers, servants, clerks, pages and pretty much everyone who didn't go home for dinner bustled around the benches or in queues for food and drink. At the head table to top officers, guests, honoured guests ate it seemed. As well as Van and Merle.   
  
Merle told her that the reason Van and her ate there was to be with the people. Although the advisors to the King and the head servants protested that the King of Fanelia should eat separately from the normal people, Van had insisted that they needed to see he was human and that he ate and drank too. That he wasn't some untouchable person that they couldn't go to for help. He was there to help them and he was one of them.  
  
Up the top as well as the apparent usual occupants that merle pointed out were Allen, Celena and Mamoru, who waved violently and pointed at two spare seats mouthing with a wide mouth "COME ON" before taking a huge bite out of his bread roll.  
  
The food was good, soup, meat, vegetables that Hitomi couldn't identify as well as the optional drink of beer. Hitomi once again opted for the pitcher of water, surprised that Merle went for the green tea with her meal of fish and soup.  
  
Hitomi held the tray over her bump, and it proved useful to hide the material that stuck out, even so, she was conscious of the soldier's eyes following her when she walked past them with Merle. The news of the girl from the Mystic Moon's return had spread through the city like wildfire. And all of the soldiers and servants knew she slept in the Kings room, speculations arose even with the knowledge they all had that van slept in the library. It was still next-door after all, and with an interconnecting door. Hitomi felt a blush glow in her cheeks as they watched her seat at the wooden bench.  
  
Hitomi prepared herself for a meal while being stared at, however, surprisingly, as soon as she sat down at the table next to her brother the eyes moved away from her and she could relax. The interest they'd had had died, Merle explained that in Fanelia, it was hammered in from childbirth that it was rude to keep people from their food, be it physically preventing or by making them too uncomfortable to eat.  
  
"Smart people" Mamoru grunted, chewing a hunk of bread feverishly  
  
Allen, a little way down the table leaned out from his seat and called down the bench "Are you feeling well Hitomi?"  
  
"Yes" she called back smiling and tucked into the meal  
  
It was an enjoyable meal all in all. Hitomi felt a hole in her stomach filled with each mouthful and she felt her spirits being raised. Eating for two wasn't so bad after all.  
  
The dining courtyard never seemed to die down either, different sentry watches were constantly coming in and out, getting drinks, alerting the next scheduled men of their duties if they forgot. People who weren't even eating were sat at the tables, clerks and scribes with spread out papers and ink, people reading and groups of servants on their own breaks chattering. It was the social area of the castle it seemed.  
  
"Do the castle workers go home at any time?" Hitomi asked Merle  
  
"Well" Merle replied, swallowing her mouthful "They all have houses in the city and family, so they can go home but in the old castle that was destroyed all the servants and people had quarters here as well. The soldiers have rebuilt their barracks away from the castle over there" she pointed in a direction for emphasis "But at the moment only the royal family and advisors have spaces to live in the castle"  
  
"So where do you sleep?" Mamoru asked  
  
"Fool" Merle snorted "In the castle, I'm regarded as a member of the Royal family now"  
  
Mamoru raised his hands.  
  
"So Allen and Celena...?" Hitomi asked  
  
"Sleep in the soldier barracks with their troops doubling up with ours" Merle replied, "You're brother is also in there I believe"  
  
"Yeah" Mamoru grinned "It's great"  
  
"I'm glad you like it" Hitomi said "I was feeling a little guilty at sleeping in the castle"  
  
"Don't worry about it" Mamoru shrugged "The castle seems to be mostly full of women anyway. I'm with the men of the place"  
  
"Anyway" Merle continued "Most of the servants go down early evening, in about ten minutes actually. A few come up for nightshifts actually, but not many. And the builders of the castle of course only work in the daytime"  
  
The sky overhead was beginning to glow a deep red with ribbons of orange through it as they finished up dinner. The courtyard emptied of the servants and clerks as they headed back down to the city. Soldiers finished up too and went back to either the barracks or on duty, the seemingly endless activity was slowing at last. Hitomi waved as she saw Gaddes and some people she was sure were from the crusade stick their heads out into the courtyard, grin, and leave again.  
  
Allen stood up as they disappeared and stretched, then holding Celena's arm as she go up as well.   
  
"Well, we had better go supervise our men" Allen said to the occupants of the top bench "They'll be wanting something to do. Restless bunch, I must say. I'll send them off on a city tour or something or they'll bicker. Let's go sort them out Celena"  
  
They were waved away from the table and disappeared into the halls of the castle on the other side of the courtyard.  
  
Van moved down the two empty seats and placed himself next to Hitomi, flashing her a smile before taking a gulp of his drink. Hitomi felt her stomach go giddy for no reason and she looked at the hands in her lap. She was a teenager after all, weren't their emotions supposed to go all hyper like this when a boy smiled at her?   
  
She grinned at her hands and Mamoru asked, "What are you so happy about?"  
  
Hitomi smiled at her brother in a way she knew would annoy him and said "You'll understand when you're older"  
  
Predictably Mamoru's face darkened and he kicked her under the table.  
  
Hitomi yelped and jerked up, causing a mad panic of the occupants of the table, more in particular Merle and Van who both jumped up with her and grabbed her arms to steady her. Van goggling at the fact merle had gotten up with him, shaking off his astoundment he looked at Hitomi and asked quietly "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah" Hitomi replied shooting daggers at Mamoru, who yawned and looked away "I just had a shock, that's all"  
  
They sat back down again and Van whispered "Merle, do you...er...know?"  
  
Merle nodded and grinned widely "You guys were talking so loudly I could have heard you a mile away"  
  
Van put his head in his hands and said in a muffled voice "Is there anyone who doesn't know in this place?"  
  
"As I said before," Merle said holding up a finger "Many people, but you really need to learn to keep your voice down. You've had this problem ever since I can remember Lord Van"  
  
"Why do you call him by his title?" Mamoru asked, looking at Merle  
  
Merle thought for a moment and then shrugged "It's manners, and I've always been told to call him that as I'm below him"  
  
Van shook his head and said warmly "Merle you've never been beneath me, not at all"  
  
Merle smiled, blinking, and looked away "Anyway, it's manners"  
  
"Sure it is" Hitomi said and shot to Mamoru "You ought to learn them sometimes"  
  
Mamoru stuck out his tongue again and said "I don't need manners, I'm practically perfect in every way"  
  
Hitomi rolled her eyes and then said quietly "So we all know, Allen knows, is that it?"  
  
The others leaned in and Van said, "No one else, I think some of the female servants might guess soon" he looked at Hitomi and then his eyes caught her stomach "What's...?"  
  
Hitomi placed her hands over her stomach and loosened the buttons of her jacket to make it baggier and then replied "What?"  
  
Van frowned and then shook his head, "Nothing"  
  
Hitomi rubbed her arms against a breeze that had suddenly struck up and the other three piped up together with "Hitomi, you ought to go inside"  
  
Hitomi sighed. Here they went, treating her differently again. Following their persistent arguments, she was escorted up to the library where Van called for the fire to be lit and extra candles for they would be sitting there for the evening.  
  
* * *  
  
Later, the fire was roaring and the sticks of candles shone out to the corners of the room and Hitomi, Van, Merle and Mamoru were all crowded around the fire. In different circumstances they might have been considered normal teenage friends enjoying each other's company. But that wasn't how it was, in a strange twist of events they'd all been thrown together in one way or another.  
  
If you thought about it hard enough it was strange how the world worked. Or worlds...Make a choice and one thing will happen but at that point something completely different would have occurred if you had taken another choice. Many things would change or maybe a minor detail would be different.  
  
As it was, they all presently sat around the fire warming themselves against the darkness that was creeping through the city as the sun shone its final rays across the horizon.  
  
A lone dragon roar was heard echoing across the valley from the far away forest.  
  
Hitomi hugged a blanket across her shoulders tightly. She stolen it from Van's pallet on the other side of the room and Merle, next to her, had stolen his pillow to sit on even though they were on a thick rug anyway.  
  
Mamoru was trying to explain the rules of football to Van in a way that was logical. Unfortunately Mamoru and logic didn't quite go in hand when it came to explaining the game to someone who had never even see a football. Mamoru knew what he was saying but it was obviously lost on Van as the flow of rules swept over his head.  
  
Merle and Hitomi just sat quietly.  
  
Hitomi closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the fire on her face and suddenly felt like she didn't want this to end. This night with these people, as she'd done many times before she wished that she could sketch ever detail of this scene into her head and never forget it.  
  
For the first time in the last few days she felt COMPLETELY at ease in her surroundings. Even Merle didn't annoy her.  
  
Hitomi sighed and looked into the fire.  
  
* * *  
  
"Please...please...wake up"  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi lay in her bed later that night and started into the darkness of the room. Suddenly completely on edge. Asleep one minute and the next her eyes and flown open and she'd been searching the room for something, but what? She didn't even know.  
  
Sighing at her edginess Hitomi rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.  
  
A pain.  
  
Hitomi froze and prayed that it wasn't what she thought it was. The pain didn't stop, but worsened and suddenly she felt the baby tug heavily at it's confinement and the pain shot through to her spine. They were here, she knew they were. That's why she was awake.  
  
But where were they? Obviously not too close because the pain wasn't so bad. Yet. Hitomi pulled the covers off her as the pain grew in a steadily worse fashion. She stumbled across the room and felt her way towards the door to the library. Falling to the floor half way in pain and crawling the rest of the way.  
  
"Help me...please" she whispered, even though no one could hear her  
  
She pulled open the door and felt water run down her face. She was crying. Too bad, she thought, she was going to have to deal. She pulled the door shut as quietly as she could and felt her way across the floor.  
  
Through the darkness Hitomi could hear Van's soft breathing and his presence like a beacon. The pain was astounding, they were so close now. Hitomi breathed and found her hand brushing the wood of the pallet that Van had been sleeping on.  
  
She blinked away tears and climbed up the short height onto the pallet. He didn't stir.  
  
Agony shot through her again and Hitomi felt they were so close that if they came closer it would be murder for the baby. Feeling her way up the pallet she lay down next to the warm body of Van. Deep in sleep, Hitomi felt guilty for having to trouble him like this, was she too much trouble?   
  
He lay on his side away from her. Hitomi felt nausea sweep towards her as the pain deepened and in a moment where it subsided slightly she knew that there was someone other than the two of them in the room.  
  
She wrapped her arms around the sleeping form of Van and wept silently, partly from fear and partly from pain. She didn't know what to do. A floorboard creaked.  
  
Pressing her face into his neck she whispered desperately "Please...please wake up" she sobbed, "Help me. Please...wake up"  
  
And in a moment she knew he was awake and alert. His breathing had sped up rapidly and she felt his body tense up. She squeezed his waist and let him roll over to face her, bringing his sword, which had appeared to rest in between them where he could reach it. She couldn't see his eyes through the dark but his hand snaked up to grip hers and the other gripped the sword hilt.  
  
"There's someone here"  
  
He said it matter of factly. And not even in a whisper. It was said quite loudly and clearly and then he said nothing. Silence fell across the room.  
  
Nothing moved.  
  
Hitomi felt Van begin to ease up off the blankets, pulling his hand away. He knelt up and drew his sword from its scabbard, waiting patiently.  
  
Something shuffled and in a split second Van leapt up from the bed with a yell and shoot off into the darkness. Hitomi sat bolt upright as she heard his footsteps charge away and then an awful scream pierced the black. Hitomi covered her ears as the noise hurt them.  
  
And then nothing. The pain stopped and even though the ringing in her ears was still there she knew there was no one else in the room apart from her and Van.  
  
She lay down and wiped her eyes on the quilt. Van padded back over to her and she felt his hand on her shoulder as he said "Having nightmares?"  
  
Hitomi smiled into the blanket and replied "Not anymore"  
  
"How long was it here?"  
  
"I'm not sure, not that long, not long enough to hurt really badly" Hitomi said  
  
"It seems they can be anywhere at any time"  
  
"Yes"  
  
The pallet dipped slightly and Van recovered his former position of lying on his side as he got back into bed. Hitomi blushed in the darkness and began to get up. But Van's hand stopped her as he put it on her hand and pulled her back down. Wrapping his arms around her protectively.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner," he said quietly  
  
"It's ok" Hitomi said, breathing in his warm scent  
  
They lay like that for a while, just on the pallet with their arms around each other like they were truly one person. It was warm and calming after the incident with whatever it was, Hitomi was sure it was one of those beings though. She yawned and closed her eyes, she was sure she'd be able to sleep like this.  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't want you to go back there!"  
  
* * *  
  
Van was tired, he didn't want to admit it but he was. It seemed to be one of his downfalls that he needed 7 hours of sleep a night. And all too often he didn't achieve it and he ended up ratty in the mornings at his councils. But even so, right now, although he was tired, he didn't want to fall asleep. He was happy like this. The embrace was so close and loving that it almost felt like he was dreaming and was actually asleep this whole time.  
  
He listened to her breathing and smiled, it wasn't a dream. Suddenly, he noticed that her stomach was pressing into him unusually. It hadn't done that the night she'd arrived and they'd held each other then. Narrowing his eyes in the darkness and cursing the fact that there was no light and he couldn't even see Hitomi right in front of him, he tried to figure out what was different.  
  
And then it hit him.  
  
The baby had grown. So THAT'S what she'd told Allen and hidden at dinner. It wasn't a normal pregnancy anymore, was it? Well, it hadn't been to start with but now it had grown larger in a matter of days. Not normal. And she hadn't told him. In a sudden wave of icy fear he wondered what could be wrong with it. Was it something to do with those things from the border.  
  
Why would they want Draconians? Van thought to himself has he recalled Hitomi's words. Because of their link with Atlantis?  
  
He sighed, and was about to say something about the stomach to Hitomi but then realised she'd fallen asleep. Smiling, he let her rest. He loosed his grip around her and she turned over in her dreams to snuggle into the pillow. Van pulled his hands away from her and moved them under his head to rest his neck on them, staring up into the darkness at what he thought would have been the ceiling in daylight.  
  
Allen knew and hadn't told him. Why didn't Hitomi want him to know? He wanted to help her. He was the father after all.   
  
Father.  
  
He still couldn't get used to that word.  
  
Van closed his eyes against his running thoughts and settled down to doze till morning. He wanted to be sure those things didn't come back after all.  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi woke up at dawn, surprisingly, she opened her eyes to the library and found she had to shove her face into the pillow to stop the light from hurting them. Yawning widely and letting her eyes get used to the light, Hitomi stretched and rolled over, finding the pallet empty.  
  
Sitting up she found Van at the window, staring out into the red-pink light of the sunrise. His body outlined with gold, he looked like a heavenly figure in this new morning. Sensing he was being watched her turned to look at her, leaning on the window ledge to warm his back with the new light.  
  
"Morning" Hitomi smiled  
  
"Yeah" Van nodded and strolled over to a chair to pull on the shirt that lay across it "Sleep well?"  
  
"After all that excitement, I can't believe I did" Hitomi smiled and yawned again  
  
"Feel free to stay in bed" Van said "Well...your room would be more appropriate before the servants come...as...well...we didn't...you know...but...well"  
  
"Yeah, I know" Hitomi said, looking at the ceiling, feeling slightly hurt that he wanted her to leave now, she pulled herself up and stretched again  
  
Van strapped on his sword belt and then attached his scabbard and weapon to it before pulling on his boots and trademark riding gloves. He looked at her then away. Hitomi frowned, was he mad at her?  
  
"Hitomi" he said, coming to sit next to her on the pallet "I need to know what's going on"  
  
"Going on?" Hitomi asked confused, "What do you mean?"  
  
Van sighed "Don't think I'm stupid Hitomi"  
  
"I don't" she protested "What are you~" she remembered, how could she have let him find out so easily? "Ah"  
  
Van looked away and fiddled with his sword, waiting for her to figure it out. He needed to know.  
  
"I didn't say anything..." Hitomi said quietly "Because when you hear things that you don't like or know someone you care for is in danger then you go charging off to do something and mostly get caught by somebody, hurt, or something terrible happens to you"  
  
Van frowned "Is that all?"   
  
Hitomi nodded.  
  
Van shook his head and grinned widely "Name one time when I did that"  
  
"When we were under attack at Allen's fort, just after we had met, Zaibach attacked and you went charging off"  
  
"I was doing that to let you get away!" Van protested  
  
"Still! And then there was the time when we were at that energist mine and you were beaten and the energists exploded...when I saw your, your...your wings"  
  
"Ah. But that was your fault for getting caught, if you hadn't have been caught then we wouldn't have bee caught and I wouldn't have been beaten. So really, that was your fault"  
  
"It so was not, if you hadn't have been acting all Mr. Hero then you wouldn't have gone there in the first place and none of it wouldn't have happened"  
  
"But then you wouldn't have seen my wings and fallen in love with me"  
  
Hitomi went bright red and turned away with a sharp comment of "That was NOT when I realised I liked you even if it did help"  
  
Van turned red too and coughed uncomfortably and said quietly "Oh yeah? When was it then?"  
  
"Well...er...I don't really remember" Hitomi stuttered  
  
Van smiled and got up "I see. Well, I don't remember either"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Good morning Hitomi"  
  
"Good morning Van"  
  
He left the room and Hitomi behind him to go out for a walk in his city.  
  
* * *  
  
I'm sorry nothing really happened in this chapter...I guess more character development isn't it? I wish more would happen for you but I always feel like I'm rushing. Oh well. Read, review and be happy! 


	10. Chapter 10

Hurray! A new chapter already! Thanks everyone for reviewing so far, I'm really grateful and I'm so glad you like this story so far!  
  
Anyway I use some songs in this chapter (Jpop to fit in with where Hitomi's from! Plus, I love that type of music anyway!) And so I picked some songs I thought were cool and put them in! Woo! Just a little creative thing I felt like doing ^^  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or the songs used in this chapter!  
  
* * *  
  
Van's head swam with thought as he walked easily out of the front Castle gate, nodding at a troop of soldiers who happened to bow suddenly at him as he passed. Adjusting his sword he stretched in the new morning's light.  
  
"Van"  
  
He turned to find Allen briskly striding toward him out of the gate, his blonde hair flying out behind him , caught in a breeze. Van smiled to himself, how Allen managed to look so well kept this early in the morning was a mystery to him. He waited as Allen caught up to him.  
  
"Good morning your Majesty" Allen greeted with a bow  
  
"Good morning Knight of Caeli" Van replied, "You wanted something?"   
  
"Walk with me a while Van"  
  
Allen walked down the hill to where the bustle of activity was beginning in the city of Fanelia for the new morning, bakers setting up their stock, shops opening shutters and setting up stalls, it was impossible to realise that so much produce had come from a country razed to the ground not so long ago.  
  
Van smiled as he caught up to Allen, his people were survivors, and he admired them so much for their spirit and good will. He'd hardly had to make judgements in any disputes ever since he had formally (meaning taken residence in his country after the war) settled in his role as King of Fanelia. It seemed his people settled their own arguments peacefully.  
  
"So Allen" Van said, taking the opportunity to ask him straight out "Did Hitomi tell you what I think she told you?"  
  
"It depends what you think you know and what I know that I know and whether it's the same as what you know and whether Hitomi knows you know what I know so maybe you should tell me what you know"  
  
Van stared "What?"  
  
Allen grinned "Never mind, go on your Majesty"  
  
"Well it's about her...stomach?"  
  
"Yes" Allen replied slowly "What about it?"  
  
"It's bigger. And she said that she told you about it before me because she thought~"  
  
"Then you do know what I know" Allen brushed his hair away from his eyes and said "That's good, I don't like being the in-betweener in a relationship between a man and a woman"  
  
"In-betweener?"  
  
"Nothing" Allen smiled "Anyway, so now we both know about Hitomi. What I want to know is, if her stomach's abnormally large at this stage, will the baby come early? And what happens if it does?"  
  
"Hitomi seems to think that these...things want Draconians" Van said lowly, casting his eyes around the street, which was getting busier by the minute  
  
"What?" Allen's eyes widened and he also scanned the street "Well, whatever they want we'll have to talk about this somewhere less open"  
  
"Agreed" Van nodded, he sighed, "I'm glad we both know Allen. I was going crazy over what she might have told you and I would be going crazy if I did know and no one else"  
  
"Fatherhood getting you down?" Allen asked kindly  
  
"No" Van shrugged "It's just...frustrating at the moment. And you can hardly call this a normal pregnancy. Has any Gaean ever produced offspring with a person from the Mystic Moon?"  
  
"Never mind a Gaean Van" Allen reminded him "A girl from the Mystic Moon who could see the future and have visions AND a Draconian? We have no idea what might happen. And from the events of late I'm surprised news of this pregnancy isn't in Freid by now"  
  
Van snorted "The only people who know are you, me, Hitomi, her brother and Merle"  
  
"Merle?"  
  
"Yeah, let's just say that Hitomi's brother needs to keep his voice down"  
  
Allen suppressed a smile and said, "Well, if you say so, I happen to find him quite an interesting child. He says you're to teach him swordplay?"  
  
Van nodded "I might have made that suggestion. Would you care to assist me Knight of Caeli?"  
  
"Two pupils of the master swordsman Balgus? I believe we can make this boy a master of the sword yet" Allen replied grinning, "Shall we go and get this new student up?"  
  
"What a good idea"  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi looked at herself in the mirror once Van had left, she'd returned to her room that was actually his and sat down on the bed, facing the full length mirror once again. From the front, from the side, from the back even. There was no way to hide it.   
  
Hitomi bit her lip hard.  
  
It was bigger again.  
  
The bump was bigger. At this rate she'd need to get a doctor to give her some advice on delivering the thing. The child, she corrected herself. Having wings is not unfortunate. She wrapper her hands around her stomach and smiled, she was holding something truly special, and it was hers and Van's. It made her feel not only connected to the baby but to Van as well.  
  
It was a nice feeling.  
  
But what wasn't a nice feeling was the one that happened to her when those things came around. She was sure now that it was them that made the baby grow, as if the baby wanted to get out quickly to run away from. It hurt so much, her eyes blurred as she remembered the pain.   
  
She couldn't stand it if she miscarried, not now, even less than two weeks after she actually knew she was pregnant, she felt so attached to this new life form growing in her.   
  
She noticed that her duffel bag was just inside the door, Mamoru must have put it there some time Hitomi reasoned. She was glad to see the bag, because, she thought, if a bag could survive everything they had gone through in one piece then surely Hitomi could do the same. It was funny if you thought about it how that bag had managed to follow her around Gaea.  
  
Rummaging through the contents of the bag (Hitomi discovered there had been quite a lot in it the day Mamoru and her had fled their home) she pulled out her discman and a pile of CD's in one of those holder files that you can put them in to make them more portable without carrying the cases around.  
  
Picking up a random one she placed it in the player and placed the earphones in her ears and began to listen:  
  
'Why is it so  
  
If within this expanse  
  
It is the more beautiful things that break most easily  
  
Rescue me   
  
If you are to change into a spirit  
  
Take me away with you  
  
Unsure of what is to come  
  
I let out a voice while crying  
  
'Please don't leave me here all alone'  
  
Life is too short and  
  
You are truly gone and  
  
I want you to embrace me again  
  
You were the only angel  
  
The wind blows and I don sorrow  
  
Like feathers and am sent flying away  
  
Air and stars  
  
To a land so pure and unknown to anyone  
  
Where only such fleeting things gather  
  
An indescribable world, a blue and clear light  
  
Everything is delicate like glitter and  
  
What is truly precious  
  
Is unrecognised by anyone and  
  
Is small if taken in the hand and  
  
Is lost and then fades away  
  
Why is it so  
  
If within this expanse  
  
It is the more beautiful things that break most easily  
  
Rescue me   
  
If you are to change into a spirit  
  
Take me away with you  
  
I don sorrow  
  
Like feathers and am sent flying away  
  
Air and stars  
  
To a land so pure and unknown to anyone  
  
Where only such fleeting things gather'  
  
Ah. She'd picked up a Maaya Sakamoto CD. It was strange, Hitomi had always found an attraction to this singers voice and she had no idea why. But she loved this song, it was so sad and beautiful. She loved Maaya's voice. It was soothing. In a minute or two of listening Hitomi began to sing along to her headphones, not caring if anyone heard, she just lay back on the bed, closed her eyes and sang, no matter how badly.  
  
Slightly scary song though.  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes as the song ended and found Van staring at her, with an odd look on his face. She pushed herself up, embarrassed, flinging off the earphones with a cry of "What?"  
  
Van shook his head "I just came to get some practise clothes" he said sweeping to a chest of drawers "Allen and I are going to give your brother his first sword lesson"  
  
"Oh" said Hitomi, beet red  
  
"And I heard you singing"  
  
"Oh" Hitomi said again, "Sorry, I didn't realise I was that loud. You should have shaken me or something"  
  
Van looked up at her "Why would I want to do that? You have a lovely singing voice"  
  
Hitomi blushed even brighter and said, flustered "Van you don't need to say that to make me happy, I know I'm bad at singing"  
  
Van cocked an eyebrow "Why would I lie? If I say you're good then you're good Hitomi"  
  
Hitomi scratched her head "Right..."  
  
"So" Van said, his head in the drawer  
  
"So?" Hitomi asked  
  
"Sing it again"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That song"   
  
"What song?"  
  
"The one you were just singing" Van said straightening up with some fresh clothes   
  
Hitomi stared at him "Why?"  
  
Van sighed, "I just wanted to hear it properly" he began to pull his shirt off  
  
Hitomi blushed and turned away, facing the wall as he changed "Maybe I will, someday. Not now, I'm too embarrassed. But I will. Ask me again" she waited until she was sure he had changed and then looked back at him "I'm a little shy"  
  
Van shrugged "Well, alright but you better sing it for me one day" he threw her a smile that made her knees wobbly and said "See you later, let's just hope we don't kill your little brother"  
  
* * *  
  
"We're starting now?" Mamoru covered his mouth as a wide yawn broke free  
  
"Yes" Allen replied stiffly across the area they were standing in, just outside the palace, it was near to the stables and was where they had been directed to when they had asked for a practise court  
  
"But it's still early" Mamoru protested, wiping a sleepy eye with the hand that wasn't full of the wooden practise sword  
  
He couldn't work out why his training had to start so early in the morning, one minute he had been sleeping snugly in bed and the next Allen had tossed him out onto the floor and handed him some clothes telling him to change. Mamoru hadn't really asked questions because at the time he'd thought they had been under attack but as soon as they'd gotten outside and Allen had handed him a sword Mamoru had thought...well, he had just thought 'why?'.  
  
The clothes Allen had given him were similar to Allen's own, a white shirt (a little large), blue breeches and Mamoru's own trainers completed the look. Allen had mentioned airily that Celena had decided Mamoru had to fit in and had taken up some of Allen's own uniform for him.   
  
Mamoru was a little awed that such a famous knight, or so he was told, and his family were showing him such consideration. He'd always thought that a knight would be proud and, well, a little stuck up. But although Allen was proud he wasn't the least bit stuck up and treated his men like his family and he and his troop had taken in Mamoru while Hitomi had disappeared with Van.   
  
Anyway, Allen had given him some cloth pads to tie onto his knees, forearms and elbows 'just in case'. Mamoru didn't know what it was supposed to be just in case of but Mamoru gulped just to think about it. He wanted to learn how to use a sword, since what other weapons were there in this strangely medieval world? He wanted to learn how to use a sword but not if it was going to be dangerous.   
  
"Night or day is of no consequence to a Knight of Caeli" Allen recited, cross-armed and holding a wooden practise sword  
  
"But I'm not a Knight of Caeli, what is a Caeli?" Mamoru protested "And why aren't we using real swords?"  
  
"You want to get your fingers chopped off?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Well then" Allen sighed, it was going to be a long session  
  
Van jogged up a moment later, trailing his own practise sword and changed into older clothes, Allen smiled as the same old red shirt and breeches were revealed to be the 'training' clothes van had gone for.   
  
"Let's go" Van said, pulling his training sword into position  
  
Allen and Mamoru stared at him, "Van" Allen began "We're not going to start like that, do you really think Mamoru could stand up to you in a fight when this is the first time he's ever held a sword?"  
  
Van shrugged "Depends on how he wants to learn"  
  
"How did you start learning?" Allen asked, he looked at Mamoru "Right, we'll be teaching you the basics first, basic handling of your sword and taking care of your equipment. Then we'll move onto the basic defence routines along with history of the sword"  
  
Mamoru stared "So when do we get to start fighting?"  
  
Allen sighed, "Swordplay is not all about combat. We will begin how every student begins. This is how I began"  
  
Van thought for a moment "I guess it makes more sense to start like that than actually fighting, but I was sure I just leapt into the field of play"  
  
"If you had Balgus as a master then I'm sure you did not" Allen replied, "Now, Mamoru can you name all parts of your weapon with their proper names?"  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi moved through the wooden hallways of the castle, heading for the stairs, aware of the hammering and noises of the castle's building areas and also very aware they were giving her a headache.  
  
The song was rolling around in her head, she kept thinking over the lyrics and wondering what had made her sing them out loud, she'd never been one for singing on the Earth, she was too embarrassed. Here it seemed that if no one knew you...well, maybe not everyone knew you, it was ok to sing because it didn't matter who heard you.  
  
It did if it was Van, Hitomi smiled, how embarrassing, caught by Van. It was strange, although they were connected on such a deep level (at least she felt like they were) it was still embarrassing to both of them to do simple things like sit next to each other or, well, sing in front of each other. She'd never even heard Van sing a note. Well they were still teenagers no matter what they'd been through.  
  
She needed clothes, first priority, her ones from Earth, apart from the tracksuit, weren't cutting it now she was lugging a child around. And if it kept growing like this she was going to burst. Not a nice thought. But WHY was it growing, sure it was getting on five months now but it was more like six months at this size, she could see it and put her hand on it and...she was sure she had felt it kick.  
  
Hitomi guessed those things were doing something to her, she examined a burn that was visible on her skin, peeking out from her sleeve. The skin was ugly but not as bad as it had been, the salve that had been provided was doing something for it after all.   
  
Hearing voices in a room, the bustle of chatter that Hitomi recognised as that of coming from young women, Hitomi knocked and pulled open a door. Inside the room, a plain dining room, two girls a few years older than Hitomi peered at her inspecting the new arrival, stopping their work of folding what looked like dust sheets.  
  
"Yes?" one asked, not unkindly  
  
"I'm looking for some people who work here, would you know where to find some?" Hitomi asked, she didn't want to offend people she'd only just met  
  
One of the girls, quite short, shorter than Hitomi, but with fiery red hair and what looked like a short temper in her said brightly "Well that would mean us"  
  
"Oh" Hitomi said, relaxing  
  
"What do you need?" the other girl asked, taller and darker than the first  
  
"Some clothes" Hitomi said, glad that the door was hiding her belly "Please, mine don't seem to fit properly anymore and I need to find some ones no ones using..."  
  
The tall girl broke out into a huge smile and said "Growth spurt?"  
  
"Well...sort of" Hitomi replied, feeling her cheeks warm up  
  
"Happened to me all the time when I was your age" came the easy reply, the girl finished folding the sheet she was holding and picked up her pile, "We'll show you to the seamstresses down in the city. Unfortunately this half built place had less than a quarter of the staff it had in the old days"  
  
"Those old days were less than a year ago," the red head snorted good naturedly   
  
"Yes well, all the more reason to go to the city for a good seamstress. My sister in fact is the top seamstress in Fanelia" the girl continued, obviously glad at having the chance to stop working for a moment "But her shop got razed to the ground of course so she's having to import from Asturia"  
  
"Asturia?" the red head gasped, finishing her pile of sheets also "Who has the money to buy those now?"  
  
"Well she's obviously waiting for the banquet season"  
  
"Banquet season, pah! There won't be one of those for a few years yet, not until we're back on our feet good and proper and the traders come in"   
  
"Yes, well, this girl can have a look can't she?"  
  
They looked at Hitomi expectantly, who was still peering around the door, and waited for a response. Hitomi shook her head, she'd been trying to follow the conversation between the two.   
  
"I don't have any money..." she got out finally  
  
The girls laughed and the tall one said "Don't worry about that, we can just get you measured! You don't even have to pay for that"  
  
"Measured?"  
  
"As in your size, waits? Hip? Bust? You know, haven't you been fitted for clothes before?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
The two girls looked astounded that someone hadn't been fitted for clothes and immediately, with sheets in hand, bustled to the door and opened it fully with laughs and good-natured humour.   
  
Hitomi tried to stop them seeing her stomach as they came out into the hallway but it was too late. The two girls stopped and stared while Hitomi broke into another blush. It seemed to be her day of embarrassments.   
  
The red head blinked and said "Oh" in a sort of knowing way and then ploughed on with "And I thought you were being paranoid when you said you were bursting from your clothes"  
  
The taller one made a sort of cooing noise and then went "How many months due are you?"  
  
"Five...Four...I'm not sure, somewhere around then" Hitomi stammered  
  
The girls nodded in a sort of motherly way.  
  
"Lucky girl" the tall one said enviously "I've been married almost a year and I'm still not pregnant"  
  
"You're married?" Hitomi squeaked before she could stop herself, these girls were only a little older than her  
  
"She is" the red head guffawed "And I'm engaged"  
  
Hitomi stared at these two young girls and wondered why she had been so bothered about showing her the bump, she'd learnt of the marriage of Millerna and Dryden and from the story of Allen and Marlene that girls married young on Gaea and it wasn't uncommon for them to have children in their late teens and early twenties. It was obviously not as conspicuous as she's thought, she'd just need to guard the fact of the father's identity.  
  
She sighed, at least she wouldn't stand out that much now. Hitomi thought back to her history textbooks that girls married even younger than she did in olden times and since Gaea seemed to have an uncanny relation with a style of Medieval Earth it seemed common sense that they'd marry and have children young, to secure a family would continue and, in the case of a royal family, to secure an heir.  
  
"Let's get going, we want you off your feet as soon as possible" the tall girl said "It won't do for a girl at your stage to be on her feet for a long period of time. No wonder you need a refitting of clothes"  
  
The red head smiled and took Hitomi's arm in one and balancing the sheet on the other "My name's Lissa and this bean pole here is Annabelle, we work here as we said. What's your name pregnant woman?"  
  
"Hitomi"   
  
"Well then Hitomi" Annabelle said brightly "It's nice to meet someone who seems to be in a healthy pregnancy after all the misfortune Fanelia has seen. Let's go get you fitted for a new wardrobe then shall we? I'm sure your husband will be glad to pay"  
  
Hitomi started and said loudly "I'm not married"   
  
The hand let go of her arm and the two girls stood away and regarded her carefully.  
  
"Not married?" Annabelle said slowly  
  
Hitomi bit her lip and shook her head, placing her hands on her stomach protectively.  
  
"You mean he just...well...knocked you up and left you to it?" Lissa said incredulously   
  
"Act~"  
  
Lissa frowned and said "That scumbag, don't even try and make excuses for him! It just goes to show that even in this day there are still poor excuses for men around"  
  
Annabelle nodded "What a low life to do that to such a pretty thing like you Hitomi" she took one arm as Lissa took the other "Don't worry we'll look after you and if we see that 'father' of that poor baby you tell us and we'll give him what for, leaving you on your own like that! No wonder you don't have any money, what a horrible person"  
  
And so they went, pulling Hitomi with them, ignoring her excuses for the father, who in their opinion didn't deserve a girl like Hitomi. And Hitomi couldn't explain as the two girls went on a rampage about dishonourable men and how the father was obviously from a neighbouring country and they had fun making up dramatic stories about what they thought Hitomi's past was, not actually asking what it was.  
  
Hitomi didn't mind all that much, it was nice to have someone take charge of her for once and to take her shopping. And these stories they were telling each other about what had supposedly 'happened' to Hitomi were actually pretty entertaining. So she offered little resistance to these two new personalities that had entered her radar of consciousness.   
  
* * *  
  
Mamoru fell to his knees and struggled to get feeling into his hands. Allen and Van had made him hold the sword in one position for nearly an hour and the joints in his fingers were screaming for movement.  
  
"Well, I don't think you'll forget the names of a sword's pieces in a hurray" Allen smiled, reaching down to pull Mamoru to his feet  
  
"Did you do this when you were training?" Mamoru asked  
  
"Yes and with Balgus it was even worse" Allen replied, rubbing Mamoru's hands between his with a fatherly gruffness to help him move them again "Balgus was one of the three master swordsmen of Gaea, so you can imagine what it was like trying to compete with him and even work under the reputation"  
  
"For you" Van said, from his position of leaning on a fence a little way away "In Asturia I'm not surprised the reputation held so much, here in Fanelia it didn't matter so much because only a few citizens had ever left our Borders. I think he was more lenient on me because no one expected him to make THAT much of a swordsman out of me, I was...a...bit of a pacifist let's say"  
  
"I can't imagine you being a pacifist Van" Allen said carefully and picked up Mamoru's fallen training sword along with his own "But then, the rite of passage to become King in Fanelia I hear will change a man"  
  
Van knew exactly what Allen meant even if Mamoru had no idea, the reminder of Folken and Van's brief but rather bloody plunge into warfare couldn't be forgotten because of their importance in what was now rapidly becoming the history of Fanelia and of Gaea itself.  
  
"I'm hungry"  
  
Allen and Van looked at Mamoru who was standing holding his stomach in a rather confused way. And they remembered that none of them had eaten since the night before and were consequently hungry, as anyone would be.  
  
"Let's go find something to eat" Van said and rubbed his burn, hidden beneath his riding gloves, absently.  
  
* * *  
  
Wow, not much happened in this chapter, huh? I was sort of setting up the next few chapters with this one ^^ So don't be too bored ok? I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please read, review and be happy! 


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for waiting to read this chapter for so long, sorry it's taking so long to write these chapters, but I have actually and amazingly finished my exams! Yay! Hurray! Hmm...time to get a job, earn some money and bye some cd's.  
  
Thanks for all your reviews, for some reason ff.net won't show them all, it says I have such and such an amount but won't show them so I'm sorry if yours is one of the ones I can't read, if you know yours isn't showing then please resubmit it otherwise we won't know you ever did one ^^! Thanks for your kind words on this story!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi gazed around her at the small room filled with materials and sewing instruments, there wasn't anything to indicate it was an actual shop except the open door and the shutters being open at the front wall where the sounds of a busy city were drifting in.   
  
There were lots of chairs though, piled with rolls of materials, lot's of different fabrics and patterns, but not the usual shop things you'd expect and what she'd seen in Asturia, like dummies, shelves. It was just setting up for business it seemed.  
  
Annabelle's sister, Sara, was busy pulling Hitomi around like a rag doll, in her element it seemed. She looked at lot like her sister but was shorter and had a pretty but less friendly face. This turned out to be a lie though because once they were introduced and Hitomi's 'story' had been spilled out she'd been full of warm words and kindness.  
  
She wasn't kind in her art though, as Annabelle explained, her sister took clothes making to a whole new level and made the best in the city, but, as Sara pointed out, the city wasn't exactly in need of a seamstress at the moment.  
  
"Why not?" Hitomi asked as her waist was pulled around to be measured once more, Sara's hands gently but firmly measuring around her lump, Hitomi saw her eyes take in a burn that was protruding from her sleeve but she said nothing and Hitomi was glad  
  
"Because there's no money in the Kingdom, we're also closed off to most of Gaea" Sara explained, she was around 25 Hitomi guessed, "So no banquets unless it's the royal families birthday or a national celebration, even before the disaster I didn't have much business and I used my skill at a low price to make good quality clothes that would wear well"  
  
"Wow"  
  
"You're too modest" Annabelle pouted, "Hitomi, my sister's 'low price' was low, I'll give you that, but so many people came to her for this price that she still made money"  
  
"Money isn't everything" Sara pointed out, brining the measure away from Hitomi and marking the measures down carefully with ink on a scroll  
  
Annabelle scowled "I know that, I'm just saying even though you were doing 'normal clothes' and using such a low price you were so good you still made money"  
  
"I'm putting the money into shipping from Asturia" Sara smiled at Hitomi "Where are you from? I've never fitted you once and I have nearly the whole cities population coming here at one time or another"  
  
Hitomi waited as someone yelled a greeting from outside and Sara waved back, and then she said, trying to make up a story, "Yes, well, I never used to get fitted, I got...hand me downs"  
  
Sara looked shocked "Hand me downs?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
Annabelle broke in "Poor Hitomi's been mistreated Sara, don't make it any worse"  
  
Hitomi scratched her head, the pit she was helping to dig somehow was getting deeper and deeper. She was about to say something when her head suddenly split in pain. She recognised the feeling at once and began to stumble off the small box she's been standing on.  
  
"Hitomi?" Lissa asked, paling at Hitomi's actions "You look sick, is it morning sickness" she moved forward to help Hitomi  
  
"I need to go back...to the castle" Hitomi gasped, clutching her head and trying to move toward the door  
  
"You're not going anywhere," Sara said sternly, grabbing Hitomi's arm "You can barely stand, what's the matter?"   
  
Hitomi wiped her eyes which were beginning to stream and blur, she sat down suddenly on the floor and held her head with one hand and her stomach with another. The baby was moving around, kicking and moving, Hitomi could almost see the wings moving in there in distress.  
  
The pain was no way as bad as it had been in the night and that meant she had time to getaway from it. But was there anywhere to go? They'd been here and on Earth, they just kept coming.  
  
Hitomi tried to pull herself up but felt to sick to move and just fell back down, oblivious to the three girls concerned voices and their tries to help her. She couldn't listen properly, she had to get away from whatever was coming. And it was coming.  
  
She held her head and cried hard, trying to pull towards the door, off the floor, but the girls didn't understand and were holding her, unsure of what was wrong.  
  
And as the pain worsened Hitomi felt a sense of dread as she knew for certain what was coming.  
  
* * *  
  
"What would you have done if I hadn't been there?"  
  
* * *  
  
Van dropped his drink, his burn had suddenly flared up. Reaching down to pick up his drink under the gaze of Allen, he tried to brush it off, but the imprint was throbbing.  
  
Placing the cup back on the table they were eating at in the castle courtyard Van placed unusual interest in his plate of breakfast. He could feel the eyes of Allen upon him but he could tell Mamoru was tucking into his food from the noises next to him. Van looked at his wrist under the table, the imprint of the hand had flared bright red.  
  
He cursed under his breath and tried to concentrate on his food.  
  
"Something wrong?" Allen asked, masking his concern through a casual remark  
  
Van envied Allen's ability with words for a moment before saying "No"  
  
"Oh really" Allen sipped his water "For a moment there I thought you were in pain"  
  
"Yeah well" Van said, he picked up his cup only to drop it with a sharp flick as his wrist bolted pain up his arm "What's going on?" he snapped loudly, regretting it as all the occupants of the area turned to look at him  
  
Allen's eyes in particular were curious, but Mamoru had looked up to stare before shrugging and putting down another mouthful of egg.  
  
Van rubbed his wrist and removed his riding glove completely, showing Allen quickly before shoving the glove back on quickly. Allen's face was unreadable as he calmly took another sip of water and asked quietly "Where would Hitomi happen to be on this fine morning?"  
  
As a bolt of realisation came through to the King of Fanelia with Allen's words Van got up so quickly his chair fell over before leaping over the dining table and sprinting down the courtyard.  
  
"Van?" Mamoru called after him, Van ignored the call, and he had a horrible feeling building  
  
Racing through the half built, wooden corridors Van bolted for the stairs leading up to the second floor of the castle, the burn throbbing uncomfortably. His room was too far, he thought, running with all the strength he could muster along the halls, yelling an apology or an 'out of the way' order to bystanders along the hallway going about their normal tasks.  
  
Reaching his room he drew his sword and yanked the door open.  
  
Empty. The room was empty. Running to the open window he looked vainly for her below, in case she was out in the grounds, seeing no one. Van drew back into the room, breathing heavily from running and he knew he was getting in an increasing panic. Where was she? She couldn't have strayed too far.  
  
"Hitomi?" he called, checking the library next-door "Hitomi!"  
  
Running back out into the hallway, ignoring the cry of a female servant as he almost ran her through with his sword has he pelted round a bend in the hallway.  
  
Running his fingers around the pendant he never took off, Van stopped for a moment to breathe and to think. Where could she be? She wouldn't leave without telling him...  
  
Would she?  
  
It was still early, where would she go? His head hurt with it all and the almost blinding panic he could feel rising in his throat. Pushing it back down Van called out to a servant that was trying to melt into the wall after his hectic outburst along the first floor of the castle.  
  
"Hey" Van said, "Would you happen to know where the Lady Hitomi has gone?"  
  
The poor woman thought with a sort of terrified look on her face a moment then nodded and said in a small voice "The seamstresses...in the city"  
  
Van nodded briskly and said "Thank you, you may go"  
  
The woman gulped and made her way quickly down the corridor.  
  
Looking over the edge of the wooden rail that ran around one edge of the hall and looked down into a small yard, Van judged the distance below to a table that was suitably positioned underneath the rail. Climbing over the rail he sheathed his sword and dropped below to the table gracefully, not noticing the looks he got from the yards occupants.  
  
Continuing with his dash Van ran through to the gate where the castle drew down onto the road through the city, hearing nothing but his wild breathing in his ears and his desperate thoughts yelling at him 'you've got to find her, she can't be far away, the seamstresses is only a short journey by horse, you'll get there, just concentrate'.  
  
"OUT OF MY WAY" he yelled to the occupants of the road, who wildly scrambled for safety away from their sovereign and if they didn't they were met with a hearty shove by their King "MOVE"  
  
There were too many people on the road, he had to keep slowing to allow them time to move, so instead of waiting he shoved through them yelling to let the crowd know who he was.  
  
"I'm not going to make it..." he breathed as stitch began to settle in his abdomen like a thorn in his side as the burn throbbed painfully "I'm not going to make it...HITOMI!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Don't leave me..."  
  
* * *  
  
Sara, Annabelle and Lissa were busy scrambling for a bucket as Hitomi began to turn green and they managed to catch it as she vomited violently, yelling and crying in pain. They had no clue what was wrong and they were frightened. People in the street had crowded around the open window to see what was the matter.  
  
"Don't just stand there!" Lissa shouted in a 'you disobey you die' voice "GET A HEALER!"  
  
Someone muttered a confirmation and several members of the crowd pushed outwards and away to obey the red head's iron gripped command. The rest stood there with horrified looks on their faces as the sandy blonde yelled and cried and was sick, many people dispersed, convinced a plague had come to the city.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous" Sara commented, wiping beads of sweat from her brow as she held Hitomi and the bucket together "If this is a plague I'm the Duchess of Freid! This isn't normal, Annabelle shut the shutters!"  
  
"It hurts...it hurts!" Hitomi yelped out, grabbing her stomach  
  
"I know, I know, shush" Sara said, feeling Hitomi's stomach with one hand "I wonder if the baby's miscarrying"  
  
"No!" Hitomi tried to scramble up, hysterically crying, but Sara pushed her back firmly as the poor girl  
  
"Done" she heard Annabelle say as the last shutter firmly blocked the crowd's view "I'm going to shut the do~ what...the..." a loud curse sounded through the shop  
  
At her sisters unfinished phrase Sara looked up to face what her sister had just seen. A dark figure was moving through the doorframe. A huge shadowed clock, blocking out the light from outside, a wide brimmed hat shadowing a face that was blocked from view. Not for long, as it moved into the dim shop room the hat fluttered to the floor.  
  
Sara's breath caught in her throat, and she held on to the girl firmly as she began to shudder and shake. Moving the girl behind her Sara felt her breath come short as she stood up to face this new terrifying menace.  
  
The hat hit the floor and in its place was a mask, a white mask, bloody eyes drawn onto a powdered face with a frightening stretch of a toothless mouth painted into the wood. But nothing was holding the mask in place, an empty space behind the mask.  
  
Lissa and Annabelle drew into the corner at this new development and made their way to Hitomi. Sara felt a lump in her throat as she stood before this thing. It felt like a cloud had moved over the sunny day outside and silence had descended on the hustle and bustle of the busy morning.  
  
"Who are you?" she said, she hoped, firmly "What are you doing in my shop"  
  
No answer, it just moved further towards her.  
  
"Keep AWAY!" a screech behind Sara made her whirl to face the paper white face of Hitomi, the green orbs wide and frightened, the girl struggling to stand and face what seemed to be her foe but yelping as her stomach seemed to pain her "I won't LET you!" she yelped in pain and fell to her knees, Annabelle and Lissa running to her aid  
  
Sara had seen enough, stooping to the floor she picked up the box platform Hitomi had been standing on earlier and with a commendable battle yell she hurtled it with all her might at the intruder, expecting him to fall back with the weight.  
  
He didn't, the platform made him almost bend double but he didn't stumble backwards. The platform rolled back heavily to rest near Sara's feet.  
  
The mask fell.  
  
There was nothing behind it.  
  
Sara screamed as the headless clocked body moved forward, only a foot away, she felt sick and light headed, there was nothing she could do. What was it?  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" an iron yell commanded, both Sara and the thing gazed around to the doorway where a new figure was blocking the light  
  
With a wave of sickness Sara thought another one had appeared, but as soon as a little light wrapped it's way around the face her jaw dropped. The King of her country, the hero of the Destiny Wars was standing in the doorway, her doorway, the legendary sword of Fanelia drawn and in his experienced hands.  
  
She heard Lissa and Annabelle, even in the midst of the situation drop to their knees and bow low to their lord. But Sara was in no such position, she had a woman to defend, but what was the King doing here?  
  
"I want you to get out of here" the King said in a low, frighteningly steady voice, the reeked of his position and anger even though it was so quiet "If you take one more move into this shop then I will destroy you right here"   
  
The thing stopped for a moment then ignored his words, taking another step towards Sara.  
  
The King of all Fanelia screamed a battle yell in anger and the thing stopped a moment, distracted, unsure of what to do Sara leapt forward, grabbing the wooden platform that had landed so near and hurled it at the wooden shutters than were placed across the windows. Shattering into thousands of wooden splinters, the wooden shutters fell outwards and sunlight flooded the floor.  
  
The King took his chance and used his sword to rip through and away the clothes of the seemingly demonic apparition. Instantly an ear-bleeding screech ripped the air in two and fragments of wood and cloth littered the floor as if nothing had ever been there in only a few moments.   
  
Sara was left there panting, staring at first the rags on the floor, the King of Fanelia and then her broken windowpanes. She also noticed that Hitomi's noise had quietened and she seemed calm, if unconscious.   
  
Sara looked at the damage then back at her King, suddenly falling to her knees in realisation that he was their ruler and she ought to show respect.  
  
"My Lord...I..." she was still in shock from the attack and the appearance of her King and she couldn't find words to explain the situation  
  
He didn't look bothered though, in fact, he ignored her and moved straight to her back. Sara turned to find him checking Hitomi over for injuries and pulling her up into his arms.  
  
"Silly girl, you should have known better than to leave the palace, look what happened now" he muttered, heaving her weight into his arms, he briskly stood up with his load and looked around at the three kneeling girls and at the room they were in "I shall send men from the castle to repair the damage done to your shop seamstress, it's partly my fault that your establishment was so badly damaged" he turned for the door  
  
"Wait" Sara said, then bowing her head as he looked around, embarrassed she had been so rude "Hitomi...I...well..."  
  
Her King nodded and said, almost she thought, warmly "I thank you for holding out against the demon for so long, not many could have done it, you may well have saved Hitomi's life" he paused, eyeing her carefully "If you wish for a reward..."  
  
Sara hastily broke in with "No my Lord! Never! I wish nothing in return, the men you will send are enough. I only wish...I would like to know how Hitomi is feeling later. We need to finish her fitting"  
  
King Van of Fanelia looked down at the girl in his arms, noticing perhaps for the first time the way her stomach was more obvious than even before "I see, I shall send news along to you of her well-being if it pleases you"  
  
"It does" Sara replied, once more ducking her head "Thank you my Lord"  
  
He nodded and then strode out of the door, carefully, so as not to whack Hitomi's head on the frame.   
  
Sara breathed out a long sigh, as she heard Lissa and Annabelle do also, a demon and her King in one day. Her shop demolished. Falling back on her rear Sara giggled then laughed, she was going to have something to tell her husband tonight. Lissa and Annabelle eyed her strangely then shrugged, they'd had quite enough for today.  
  
"I wonder what that thing was" Annabelle said, poking the pile of rags carefully, as if it might come alive any moment  
  
"Don't know" Lissa replied, wiping her skirts "But my guess is, it's something to do with Hitomi and the King"  
  
"You reckon Hitomi knows the King?" Annabelle gasped  
  
Lissa gave her friend a 'do you ever put two and two together?' look and said slowly "Well we met her in the castle, she came here, the demon attacked and the King showed up. Does that seem like coincidence to you?"  
  
"No" Annabelle said firmly, staring at the space in the doorway where her Lord had stood as if she expected him to reappear there "Wow, I've never seen him close up before, not even at the palace. He's so handsome"  
  
"If you go for that sort of thing" Lissa said, dusting her hands "I much prefer Sir Allen who I HAVE seen around the place, and close-up"  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi woke up and instantly regretted it, Van was sitting at her bedside scowling at her. She closed her eyes again and worked out that nearly every inch of her ached and that the baby didn't seem much happier as it turned out a loan kick on her. She only needed the sole look to also work out she was back in Van's room at the palace.  
  
"I know you're awake" Van said sternly "Open your eyes and face me"  
  
Hitomi sighed and opened an eye, watching him for a moment, deciding not to push her luck and looked at him straight "What?"  
  
"You know what" he replied, folding his arms "Who said you could go out of the palace?"  
  
Hitomi frowned "I'm not a prisoner Van"  
  
"Well maybe you should be" he shot back "If it'll keep you out of harm's way!"  
  
Hitomi sat up, wincing as a bruise ached and her neck hurt and then said loudly "Well one showed up here didn't it? So maybe harm comes calling!"  
  
Van let out a breath, which sounded like he was letting off stream and then said quietly "You didn't tell any one of us where you'd gone and if I hadn't have come~"  
  
"Why did you come if you didn't know?" Hitomi asked, sitting up opposite it, hands across her stomach  
  
"That doesn't matter" Van snapped, "What were you doing outside the palace?"  
  
Hitomi felt a rising anger and snapped back with "Have you seen me?" she put her hands out for emphasis "I am getting to be the size of a house! My shirt won't button up and this is the only set of clothes I have! I went to get measured for new ones Van!"  
  
"You could have told someone!"  
  
"It was a spur of the moment thing! And look at the size of me, as I said before, it's big! Too big for five months!"  
  
"I noticed! But I don't want you to leave the castle again!"  
  
Hitomi stared at Van, who was glaring back at her in equal measures "You can't keep me locked up Van" Hitomi said quietly  
  
"Why not? If it'll keep you out of trouble!" Van said, balling his fists "Maybe we should learn our lesson from the last trip you had to Gaea which was that you attract trouble Hitomi!"  
  
Hitomi drew herself up indignantly and said, "Thanks for that Van! I think I noticed that WHEN I RAN INTO YOU AT THE RUNNING TRACK!"  
  
Van leaned back at this and then said "Why are you bringing that up, all I said was I don't want you to leave the castle in case one of those things comes when I can't get to you"  
  
"I can look after myself!"  
  
"Obviously not, since when do people come into someone else's bedroom looking for protection if they can look after themselves? Or turn in to a jittering pile of defencelessness if they can look after themselves?" Van said sharply   
  
Hitomi drew a breath and shouted "Well maybe if I'm such a burden I'll go and have this baby at HOME on EARTH with REAL doctors, how would you like that?"  
  
Van seemed to snap as he stood up, pushing the chair over and roared "YOU WILL NOT GO BACK WHEN THOSE...THOSE...SCIENTISTS CAN DO EXPERIMENTS ON MY CHILD!"  
  
Hitomi scrambled up off the bed, drawing herself up to full height and screamed back "WELL WHAT'S THE RATE OF SURVIVAL HERE VAN?" he stared at her "HOW MANY WOMEN LIVE THROUGH CHILDBIRTH ON GAEA, HUH? HOW MANY CHILDREN SURVIVE THEIR FIRST YEAR OF LIFE? COME ON THEN! TELL ME! HOW SAFE AM I HERE?" she pushed him with both hands, her eyes ready to cry over the argument, but she was determined not to, she pushed him again, harder so he stumbled back "Don't you start forbidding me to go home Van" she said quietly "You never know, it may be the safest bet I have"  
  
She looked at him, and grabbed the jacket she'd brought with her from Earth and stumbled out the door, leaving Van to stare only back at where she had been.  
  
* * *  
  
"I've been better"  
  
* * *  
  
So how was that chapter? A little short I know but I wanted to get it out of my system quickly so as not to leave you hanging. Read and review! Peace! 


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry it's been so long since the last chapter, I didn't start it...then...I went on holiday...then...stuff...etc. Anyway so here it is finally, I hope it won't disappoint, I've been catching up on all the other Escaflowne fics that I've missed updates of, you are all so talented! Go you!  
  
Anyway, love this group called Placebo, they have a wonderful song called 'Special Needs', very good. Someone also told me there was a fic published a little while ago similar to mine…hopefully not too similar. But still, makes me a little sad but then I guess they are sad too that mine is here. But then, I guess this idea isn't that original either. But thanks for all you guys for sticking with me! Good luck to the other writer though ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
Mamoru stared at his sister as she ran past him through the castle courtyard where he was again at sword practice with Allen, who was practically forbidding him from getting a drink through his beginner's drills.  
  
Hitomi didn't even say hello. Mamoru lowered his sword as Allen did and stared after her.  
  
"Hitomi?" he called "Where are you going?"  
  
She didn't reply, it didn't even seem like she'd noticed him, Mamoru's jaw dropped as he watched her turn a corner. Her stomach was about the size of a woman heavily pregnant. His next door neighbour had been that big a week before having her baby. But five months couldn't be that big...  
  
"Allen...did you just see that?" he looked at his new training master   
  
Allen nodded and brushed his hair out of his face "Perhaps you should go after her" he suggested, "Isn't that what brothers do?"  
  
Mamoru bit his lip and then shrugged "Only when their sisters need protecting, and usually she doesn't want help..."  
  
"Well, shall I go?" Allen asked  
  
"No. Only if she's gone for the day, most likely she'll come back later" Mamoru said "She won't stay away and from the looks of it she wanted to be alone anyway"  
  
"Mmm" Allen murmured non-committedly and turned back to Mamoru "Alright, let's carry on"  
  
* * *  
  
"Jerk. Fool. Idiot" Hitomi chanted as she ran, almost spectacularly considering her burden  
  
Who was he to tell her what to do? He'd always been like that, but now she couldn't stand that aspect of him. Slowing down next to a tree she discovered how hot she was and leaned on the trunk to cool down, running when you're pregnant, it seemed, was not the best of ideas.  
  
Looking back at where she'd come, she discovered she was half way between the castle and the city, quite far for a sprint.  
  
And out of the castle.  
  
"Jerk" she repeated to the castle and slid down on the opposite side of the tree trunk, so it hid her from castle view, and sat on the bushy grass  
  
She put her hands on her huge belly and was suddenly surprised when to large splashes appeared on her skin. Wiping her eyes she discovered tears were coursing down her cheeks like the end of the world had come.  
  
"Don't be so stupid Hitomi" she scolded herself "You cry too much"  
  
But it didn't stop her.   
  
She balled her fists and bit her lip as the tears poured their way to the ground. It was his entire fault. Why did he think she couldn't help herself? But then she had been the one to run away from the problem, come to here for his protection. For that was why she had come wasn't it? To feel protected and loved?  
  
No. Hitomi assured herself, it was the right thing to do, she wasn't running away from anything. And it was just the hormones making her cry.  
  
She put her hands on her chest, why did it hurt so much? Was this what love was really made up of? Hurt, pain, arguments? She hadn't thought so, it was supposed to be all fluffy and holding hands. How foolish she had been to think that coming here it would all be ok. Not even Van could protect her from these things and when he tried to it just seemed to pull them apart.  
  
He was probably never going to speak to her again.  
  
She wouldn't speak to her again.  
  
But it was his entire fault. He was the one who'd shown up on the running track, she felt a kick in her stomach and decided the baby agreed with her. His fault, not hers.   
  
She wondered briefly when it would be good to go back to the castle and pick up some fresh clothes that actually fit her but pushed it away, she wasn't going back just yet.   
  
If only she'd thought to bring her tarot cards out of the castle with her, but then, she hadn't really thought about it. If she had then perhaps she could...no. Hitomi shook her head, no more predictions.  
  
Her mind wandered to the last one she had made only a few days ago...  
  
Stay in the light, they want the child.  
  
Well it was obvious who 'they' was. Those things she kept running into, pulling up her sleeve and looking at the burn she ran her fingers over the sore skin, wincing at the pain.  
  
"So they want the baby, I guess the daughter of a Draconian and someone from the Mystic Moon would be valuable. But not to...things like them" she said softly "And they marked Van too...so it must be the Draconian blood"  
  
Unfortunately the only person who would know about properties of Draconian blood that she could think of was Dryden. And Van of course, the only living Draconian left, unless you counted the baby that was yet to be born. But Van didn't seem to know anything specific about his body's abilities other than the wings (obviously) and his red-ish eyes.  
  
Dryden seemed to be the best bet, with his library and all.  
  
But hadn't he gone travelling? At the moment Millerna was ruling on her own, or so Celena and Allen said, Dryden had gone travelling in order to learn more about his world and the Kingdom he would be ruling.  
  
No way then. Hitomi sighed.   
  
She had nothing to do, either go back and face Van, or not to go back and face the possibility of even more things going wrong. Slumping back on to the tree Hitomi rubbed her stomach idly as the baby kicked. A good, strong kick, backing up her suspicions that this baby was growing WAY too fast and, the way she judged it, she was going to have this baby pretty soon.  
  
"Then what do I do?" she wondered "Go home? Stay here?"   
  
What a mess.  
  
"You look a mess"  
  
Hitomi looked up and met the bright cerulean eyes of Celena, looking concerned, brushing her short blonde hair out of her face. Wearing a few left over plates and her sword of her full suit of armour which she had discarded when they'd arrived at the castle, Celena adjusted her wrist guards and looked down at Hitomi fondly.   
  
"What's up?" she asked  
  
"Nothing" Hitomi tried to smile  
  
"You obviously had a fight with Van" Celena said, ignoring Hitomi's last comment  
  
Hitomi blinked, she'd hit it right on the head "Sort of…" she sighed  
  
"Hmmm, these things happen all the time in relationships" Celena nodded knowingly, "Or so my brother says, and he has enough love life problems to make me believe him"  
  
Hitomi snorted "As if we're in a real relationship. He's such a child right now"  
  
Celena grinned "And you're not?"  
  
Hitomi frowned "I guess I am too…but, we're both still children"  
  
"The freedom of childhood was taken with Van when Fanelia was attacked" Celena said seriously "And you, when you consummated your feelings with him. Or even before that, when you met him"  
  
"I know" Hitomi mumbled and placed her hands over her stomach, "It's just…on the Mystic Moon we're still children"  
  
"I know it must be hard for you, but you know Van's only doing what he is because he wants to protect you"  
  
"I know that"  
  
"Let me tell you something" Celena said, crouching down next to Hitomi "Usually an heir to the throne is married before they are given the crown, and this is at a very young age. In Asturia betrothals are often made at birth. Van skipped this process when Fanelia was destroyed once and now his advisors have been pestering him for months for a marriage to an ally country"  
  
Hitomi listened, captivated by the affairs of Gaea.  
  
"Even though they pressured him he wouldn't give in, made excuses and the like and just wouldn't back down. You see Hitomi without an heir Fanelia is vunerable. But he still wouldn't back down"  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Hitomi asked  
  
"Because" said Celena, "It proves just how much he does care for you, that even though he knew you might not see each other again that he still abstained from marriage. And I think you feel the same, so don't you go getting upset over a little hiccup like this; it's fate"  
  
Hitomi smiled "Well fate has its own way of doing things, doesn't it"   
  
Celena smiled but didn't answer, she pulled herself up from the ground and stretched.  
  
Blinking away a sudden stinging in her eyes Hitomi suddenly realised that it wasn't her eyes stinging it was her stomach.  
  
"I feel slightly…" she said slowly, looking up at the blonde  
  
Celena wasn't looking at her, but behind her.  
  
"Hitomi, I want you to run to the castle when I say so" she said sternly  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do as I say Hitomi" Celena didn't look as if she was playing, throwing a hand down for Hitomi to grab as a help up, her blue eyes a sheet of ice  
  
Hitomi looked around and felt sick, the stinging sudden elevating itself. Three black cloaks were wavering in the breeze not far away from where they were standing. She blanched and pulled herself up by Celena's hand.  
  
The three figures were moving slowly, as if balloons toward them, coming up the hill from the town below. A few people on the road seemed to notice them, running away as fast as they could, afraid of what they were seeing.  
  
Celena's grip, still on Hitomi's wrist, was painful. Hitomi pulled it away from the girl and started to move back towards the castle.  
  
"Go Hitomi"  
  
Hitomi didn't wait to argue, she began to stumble her way to the castle.  
  
"Van's right" she mumbled "I really am useless"  
  
Celena wasn't listening, her eyes were hard and she was calculating the positions of the three ahead. In a swift sharp movement and the sweeping sound of metal being scraped, she had pulled her long sword from its sheath and was walking calmly down to meet the three dark figures, now they were so close Hitomi could begin to see the markings of the hideous faces on the white masks.  
  
For a moment Hitomi's vision flickered and she could have sworn it was Dilandau walking down the hill, sword drawn in his blood red armour, eyes raging. Then it changed and once more Celena was facing the enemy.  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE"  
  
Was that battle roar really Celena's? Hitomi heard the gigantic noise and started, but still fixated on the castle and she was sure that the cry would have been heard in Palas from the volume of it.   
  
Hitomi stumbled over her foot and fell hardly across a rock, yelping as both her belly and knees protested the motion and she slit her shin across a stone. His her head was hurting so much and her stomach was rolling.  
  
"No! Not now" trying to scramble up Hitomi threw up the contents of her stomach fiercely and collapsed onto the grass again, holding her head as it split with pain "No…"  
  
She couldn't see straight anymore…her vision blurred slightly before she blinked it clear again.  
  
A black shadow suddenly fell over her and she struggled to see what made it, but found her question answered when a searing white hot hand plastered itself once more on her wrist.  
  
Screaming in agony Hitomi tried to pull away, but the hand was too strong, the figure paid no attention to her struggles and just screeched the ear-bleeding scream again.  
  
It began to drag her along the hill and away from the castle and Celena and Hitomi only just mustered the strength managed to bring her free hand up to try to protect her stomach which was being beaten and battered by the rocks and rough ground she was being dragged over.  
  
Dimly she registered through the pain, the yells of Celena and the answering calls of her captor's brethren. Hitomi struggled as she could but could do nothing, she felt more cuts opening on her arms as more rocks appeared under her, the creature seemingly intent on ripping her open on them.  
  
Feeling consciousness loosing its grip she screamed as loud as she could "VAN! ALLEN! MAMORU!"  
  
She sobbed once and whispered "I am useless…Van…"  
  
And then she knew no more.  
  
* * *  
  
"It's your fault"  
  
* * *  
  
"LORD VAN!"  
  
Van leapt off the chair he had been waiting for Hitomi in, hoping that she wouldn't be too mad for the way he had acted earlier, to be cannon balled into by the younger cat figure.  
  
Merle wrapped her arms around him tightly and said "Lord Van…it's…it's…"  
  
"Merle?" Van looked at her closely, realising she was sobbing into his shirt as his skin beneath the material became damp also  
  
"Lord Van…it's…they…" she couldn't get it out "They…"  
  
"Took Hitomi" Allen finished, appearing in the door, a very pale and distraught looking Mamoru behind him, Allen looked calm and collected with the knowledge but seemed to be tapping his boot-clad foot on the floor irritably  
  
"What?" Van felt his stomach drop out through his shoes, taking a deep breath he said calmly "WHAT?" it came out louder than he expected and he jumped at himself, taking a deep breath he said more quietly "What happened?"  
  
Allen refrained from asking why Hitomi had in the first place run out of the castle and instead said "Celena was with her, but she's been injured. Come on, you can talk to her instead. She's in the soldier barracks being patched up"  
  
* * *   
  
When they arrived at the door in the long building, Allen knocked and opened the door slowly. Inside the room were two single beds, the room was very clean, and although only one was in a bed, there were two occupants.  
  
Gaddess stood easily out of his chair and saluted his commander easily "Sir" and then he turned to Celena with a grin "I'll see you later, get some rest" before nodding to the others and walking out into the corrador, shutting the door behind him  
  
Allen eyed his second in command and then his sister, and then said "How are you doing?"  
  
Celena rolled her eyes "Having your arm half torn off isn't something you easily shake off" she turned more serious when she saw Van though and said "Your majesty, I want you to know I did everything in my power to protect her"  
  
Van frowned "Just tell me what happened" it seemed that every moment he was in the dark his guilt and worry increased  
  
"Well I saw Hitomi on the hill outside the castle looking" she paused "Upset about something, so I went to see what was wrong. We were talking when three of those…things came up out of nowhere. I tried to fight them off and told Hitomi to run to the castle. Unfortunately another was waiting for that it seemed an grabbed her while I was incapacitated"  
  
Van bit his lip "Did she say what was wrong?"  
  
"No"  
  
But everyone in the room knew that it was a lie.  
  
Allen shifted his sword and sat down on the free bed with a sigh "Where would they take her? Why would they take her? We know nothing about them"  
  
Merle nodded and said "They don't even smell like normal people"  
  
At this Allen looked up and asked "What do they smell like?"  
  
Merle looked confused "Why?"  
  
"What do they smell like?" Allen pressed  
  
Merle thought for a moment then said "They smell like…ash. Like when…when Fanelia was burnt, they smell like that. Just not so much, just generally, I could smell it on Hitomi's clothes when she was hurt and stuff. Now that I think about it, when we were in the baths she still smelled of it, but I thought that it was just her"  
  
"Thanks" Mamoru said sarcastically, the others jumped, having forgotten he had been there "What does the smell matter?"  
  
Allen thought for a moment and said "It ould matter if Merle could follow Hitomi's scent or their scent. It would make it easier for us to find her"  
  
Merle shook her head "Sorry but scents grown cold after a few hours, before we'd have catched up to them it'll have gone" she said sadly "I'm sorry but that's how it works, at least for me"  
  
"It's ok" Celena said comfortingly   
  
Van remained silent, his mind in turmoil over what to do. He wanted with all his heart to go after her and protect her and his child, but they had argued so. Would she even want to see him?  
  
"Van"  
  
He jumped as he realised it was his name being said and said quickly "What?"  
  
"I said" Allen replied "Do you have any ideas, or would you like me to take control of a search party?"  
  
Van flapped his hand and said "You do it, I've never in my life organised a search party, and you have more experience than me. Now, if you'll excuse me" he said, in a somewhat cold tone he didn't intend "I have things to do"  
  
He walked to the, pausing slightly to give a nod to Mamoru, and left. Listening outside the shut door he heard whispered tones of concern and authority and conversations he didn't even want to hear.  
  
They all thought it was his fault. And so did he. Growling, Van marched down the wooden hall and out of the soldier's barracks.  
  
It was his fault, he should have been there. Whirling around he smashed his fist into one of the wooden walls that shared its border with outside, and Van seemed surprised when he found his fist had gone straight through. Catching a passing soldier staring at him in disbelief, Van barked "Don't just stand there, find a repair crew"  
  
"Yes sir" the man saluted and ran off  
  
Van looked at his gloved fist, at the burn emerging from under the material and didn't hesitate to punch another hole into the thin wooden barrier. He pulled the broken bits of wood free to release his limb and then strode out of the soldier's barriers into the training yard below, where they day was already beginning to look stretched and dim.  
  
Van wiped his forehead and ran his hand through his black locks, he sighed and leaned against the small wooden fence that surrounded the training yard he and Allen had used to begin to teach Mamoru the basics of swordplay. It seemed like years ago.  
  
As the sun began to turn the sky red, Van felt a tugging at his neck. He frowned and brought the pendant out from its home underneath his shirt. It was glowing, the small gold ring around the chain turned pink in the reflected light, Van frowned and dropped the pendant back down again.  
  
It didn't hit his chest, it didn't even hit his shirt, it stayed in the air, an inch from the material and Van began to realise what it was trying to tell him.  
  
'You know where Hitomi is, don't you?' he thought and half ripped, half pulled the pendant from his neck and held it up, where it dropped like nothing had happened.  
  
Van grinned with a new, burning ambition, which suddenly appeared in his head so brightly that he couldn't imagine why he hadn't thought of it before. Slapping his forehead and almost laughing out loud with his new found knowledge.  
  
Hadn't Hitomi been the one to teach him dowsing? Hadn't he been the one to use dowsing without a pendant to, well, kill Dilandau's Dragon slayers? Didn't he know hold the pendant Hitomi had used to dowse the last time she was in Gaea?  
  
It all seemed to fit together so plausibly that he was amazed at it seemed like it would work. Looking back up at the Soldier's Barracks he hesitated on whether to tell them his plan.  
  
He decided against it, they would only be sceptical.  
  
Grinning manically, he gripped the pendant and ring in his palm and sprinted back to the castle for things he would need.  
  
He'd make it up to Hitomi, and to his unborn child. But for now, he needed to find them.  
  
"Hold on Hitomi" he gasped as he ran "I'm coming to get you"  
  
* * *  
  
So how was that chapter? I hope it made up for the wait, I went on Holiday and then I was busy with stuff so…yeah, I have finished MY OTHER FIC. So I'm free to work on this one anyway so that's good for you guys. Tell me what you think and stuff. Tell me how it's going, what you've been up to. Well…just r and r I guess! 


	13. Chapter 13

New chapter guys! Yeah! I'm hoping its out quicker than the last chapter was, and I read back through the earlier chapters and realised how much I'd diverted from my original course. All the routes I was going to take then didn't and what I could have done and stuff. It's strange how different this story is turning out from what I imagined it.  
  
Anyway, so this chapter is going to be a little nostalgic as well as new stuff, because I liked dong parts of the past in with the present like I did in the beginning…does anyone even remember that far back? Man, writing fanfiction is weird.   
  
Anyway, I'd really like to dedicate this chapter for MaboroshiTsuki, so I hope it's good! Also, I've been reading a story by…um…Aishuu? Anyway and she has a direction to a site called http://www.learntarot.com anyway, her fiction showed me how much I butchered the poor deck in my story so far so probably when I'm finished I'm gong to go back and rewrite my original tarot prediction. I think someone pointed it out to me when I first published that chapter but I didn't know how to correct it.  
  
Man, I've written so much in these little sections I've forgotten what I've asked people an all so when you write stuff in your reviews I'm like 'whuh?'! It's just me being forgetful!  
  
A lot of you seem to be berating (is that the word?) Van for going on his own! Well, he has to because isn't that they way things go in all stories? It's a right of passage or something! Also he needs to get Hitomi to forgive him so it's that sort of thing too!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own this story  
  
* * *  
  
Van had waited until the sun had almost completely set before he set out on his mission. There had only been a little time between his decision and this event anyway so he decided that it would be best to leave under the cover of darkness, and then if he needed too he could use his wings for speed.  
  
Waiting for the particular moment that he could leave was the worst thing he could have thought of doing, every moment his head was sending him ideas of what they could be doing to Hitomi or how it was his fault. He didn't blame his head for doing these things to him, perhaps it was a form of punishment. But he still couldn't sit still waiting for his moment.  
  
He tried to remember what Hitomi had told him about dowsing. You had to concentrate on every detail about what you wanted to find, in this case Hitomi, and then let the pendant swing in that direction, or even a mental pendulum. He remembered the slaughter of the dragonslayers and shuddered, forcing the image away.  
  
The sun finally disappeared from the horizon, leaving only deep scarlet trails down the clouds hanging above. Van glanced around from his spot, a corner between stables and soldiers barracks near to the edge of the closest part of the forest, to check that no one would see him leave. The last thing he needed was a couple of servants alerting the guard their King had gone missing.  
  
He pulled the pendant out of his shirt and held it up in a beam of light, so a small amount reflected off the stone, allowing him to see its movement. Concentrating very hard on what he wanted, exactly the way he had been taught how, he closed his eyes and the opened them to see his progress.  
  
The pendulum gently swung to and fro and as Van stared at it he was amazed to see the stone seem to visibly jerk towards the forest. Although he'd seen it done before he was still unnerved when it happened to him when he did it himself.  
  
Casting another glance around the area, he strung his sword against him, threw his cloak over him and picked up his small waist bag to attach to his sword belt. The bag was small, around the size of a hand but very tough, he'd stuffed it with a few essentials he could think of.  
  
Making sure he was set, he spent another second on watch, decided no one was about to see him leave, and sprinted off into the undergrowth, thoroughly pleased with his caution.  
  
Unknown to the young King a stealthy set of eyes were also admiring his stealth ass he disappeared into the night. After checking themselves for an unknown assailant, the figure slinked into the twilight and stretched easily, tucking a strand of pink hair behind a large ear.  
  
"Really, Lord Van" Merle rolled her eyes, "I might not be able to follow Hitomi but I can follow you"  
  
Sighing, wondering where she got her touch of insanity from, Merle began to make her way daintily on all fours to the bushes, making sure she took her time in the dark despite her good eyesight, also pleased with her caution.  
  
"Why am I doing this?" she muttered as she pulled her tail free of a twig  
  
This time, without the purpose to follow…at least just yet, another pair of eyes watched as Merle disappeared into the forest after her Lord. A glinting button set onto a deep blue uniform shone as the tall, graceful figure or Allen Shezar unfolded itself from a corner with a yawn.  
  
Standing, easily with one hand on his sword hilt, he listened to the quiet thrashings of the cat girl as she made her way after Van. Looking up at the rising moon Allen smiled lopsidedly.  
  
"I would have made sure of complete darkness"  
  
And he turned on his heel and strode back to the castle in the new evening, towards the promise of supper and cheerful chatter, but still, with the intent, to follow. But not in quite so small a manner.   
  
Van had put him in charge of a search party after all.  
  
And search parties, in Allen's opinion, were of no small affair.  
  
* * *  
  
…  
  
…  
  
…  
  
Warm, a light breeze brushing her cheeks and blowing her hair, Hitomi opened her eyes and looked up through the leaves and swaying branch of a tall tree. Sunlight dancing on her features she sat up and looked around.  
  
A grass field rippling gently…  
  
A feather gently floated down into her lap, Hitomi picked it up and studied it carefully.  
  
She felt calm, as if this were an ordinary occurrence, she was just taking everything in. A dreamlike state.   
  
A shadow fell over her.  
  
Hitomi glanced up slowly to gaze at the tall figure, his wings outstretched. Blacked out by the sun, or perhaps he was just a shadow anyway. In some way like Van and yet not Van.  
  
More feathers fell, touching her skin lightly, Hitomi dimly noted she wasn't covered in burns and that somehow she was wearing her school uniform.  
  
Folken stared at the sky, his feathers and body outlined by the light and said "If you create them then you can banish them too"  
  
Hitomi nodded. It made sense. But what sense it made she wasn't sure and her head couldn't seem to calculate.  
  
A noise.  
  
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The field disappeared to reveal a blackness with a large swinging pendulum, but it wasn't a pendulum, it was her pendant. Swinging to and fro, to and fro, keep perfect time.  
  
Folken was fading fast from in front of her vision, Hitomi blinked and then he was almost gone.  
  
"Every future is governed by strength of will"  
  
And it was gone.  
  
…  
  
…  
  
…  
  
A hard rock dug into her back, Hitomi gasped as her consciousness came back to her suddenly, rolling over to breath more easily she discovered she was lying on a hard stone floor. Cautiously opening her eyes and studying the dark in the dim light available, she confirmed it was rock.  
  
She groaned, she felt like she'd been dropped off a cliff. Wrapping her arms around her stomach and curling up for a moment she tried to reassure the life inside of her that it was alright and that they were both still alive, even if she couldn't' tell it directly.  
  
Time to see where she'd been dragged to.  
  
Pulling her arms under her she pushed up against the cruel stone to take in her surroundings, unlike her vision of a inviting plain, this place was less than welcoming. In fact, she couldn't even see further than a few feet away, she was situated in a beam of light.  
  
Squinting up, the beam seemed to come from a roundish hole in the roof of what she assumed was a cave. She shivered as cool damp air met her skin. It seemed like a terrible coincidence that this place, the situation she was in, reminisced a vision she'd had not long ago...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
A body of a dead angel lay in a shaft of life, lifeless eyes staring up to the sky forever more, black feathers falling silently around. A scuffle in the background and it the broken form was surrounded by shadows. They screamed and shrilled and then, carefully as not to step into the beam of light, they dragged the body into the darkness.  
  
Soon only the feathers were left as the feet were dragged into the darkness. Hitomi found herself in the beam of light, surrounded by figures with no one around, her tarot cards spreading themselves at her feet in patterns she'd never seen before and as she let out a terrified scream the light above her went out and she felt the cold air of the dark around her.  
  
Movement filled her ears and she felt icy grips on her arms and body as freezing burns were seared into her skin. She pulled and tugged but there was no effect.  
  
Out of nowhere another shriek filled the space and instead of a wordless, head splitting noise, words were formed.  
  
"We must have another"  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
Yeah, this was definitely a LOT like the place she remembered in that vision. Gathering some strength she got up and balanced precariously on her feet, making sure she could handle it and looked around into the black void again.  
  
Something shuffled, skidded and made a whirl in the black.  
  
Hitomi frowned, this wasn't good. And if this was the place she thought it was then it wasn't getting better. Something else moved, like the sigh of a gust of wind, it blew through the darkness and made a low whistle.  
  
They were in there. But, her stomach didn't hurt, not a bit. Yet she still knew they were there. What was going on? She gulped and decided to find out.  
  
"H~" her voice cracked and she gulped again "Hello? You're there, I can tell so come into the light and let me see you"  
  
No reply, but something else moved and she could have sworn she heard the sound of rustling material.   
  
"Where's Folken's body?" she called out, pushing her fear away  
  
Nothing.  
  
Silence.  
  
A crash of metal made Hitomi leap back, but she caught herself before she fell into the shadows. That was one thing she didn't want to do just yet. The metal was followed by a freakish sight that made her stomach lurch.  
  
A metal arm was flung onto the stone ground in front of her.  
  
Folken's arm.  
  
Hitomi paled and stumbled back a few more steps, staring at the arm with horror, so THAT was where it was, she didn't want to know where the rest of him was.   
  
And then something else appeared, crawling into the light, a long fingered hand began to slide into the light. Slowly, carefully, taking it's time, followed by an arm. There wasn't anything to the limb, it was like watching rotten meat slide along the ground. Hitomi covered her mouth in horror as another followed it.  
  
But the other one was covered in black cloth like the earlier things had been clothed in. At least she didn't have to look at the rotting flesh any longer now she had something else to look at. But the smell, it was awful. Her stomach rolled dangerously.  
  
The material spread as the figure dragged itself into the small circle of life. Apart from the rotting arm, the rest of it was thankfully covered, but the material stank and looked dirty.  
  
It stopped as up to the shoulders of its body was in the small pool of light, covered by the faded and rotten material.  
  
The awful screech that hurled itself into her ears and made her shake was gone almost as soon as it had begun, and Hitomi pulled her hands away from her ears, staring at the pile of whatever it was on the floor, which was no longer moving.  
  
"We ate him"  
  
The slithering, sliding, whisper of a voice came and went so quickly Hitomi couldn't be sure whether she'd imagined it or not, but it had seemed to come from the creature on the ground. She stared at it in horror, wondering whether she'd finally gone mad.  
  
"Sorry?" she blurted, not wanting to back away any more for fear of hitting the pitch black behind her  
  
"We ate him" the voice repeated  
  
The finger sat the end of the rotting arm twitched repulsively and Hitomi felt the instinct to be sick returned.  
  
"Metal no good, left over" it continued and the fingers began to reach slowly over to the metal arm  
  
Hitomi frowned and kicked the metal arm away from the walking fingers, not wanting anymore befouling of Folken.  
  
The voice hissed, she was now certain the thing on the ground was talking to her, the thing hissed at her action and said "Give draconian to us"  
  
"What?" Hitomi said "Why do you want them so much"  
  
"Life"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Life"  
  
"I don't understand what you're talking about" Hitomi yelled "You make no sense at all and all you've bee doing is trying to hurt us!"  
  
"Not hurt" the voice protested, Hitomi had the urge to kick the body at its argument "Just…taste"  
  
Hitomi stared at it.  
  
"Mother must feed her other children"  
  
Hitomi's eyes went wide "What?"  
  
* * *  
  
Van hit an outcropping of rock an hour and a half into his rescue mission, the base of the mountains sticking up through the Fanelian forests, the rocks went steeply up but many jutted outwards to lend travellers and easy grip upon climbing and many ledges to rest.  
  
He'd tracked Hitomi to this place but now it seemed like a dead end, wearing, Van looked up, hands on hips to his opponent. He'd climbed bigger. And it wasn't THAT hard. He just had to find the right footholds.  
  
A twig snapped.  
  
Spinning, Van faced the forest, drawing his sword in a sweeping arc to find his enemy.   
  
"Who's there?" he barked  
  
No reply.  
  
"I order you to show yourself!"  
  
A scuffle in a nearby bush let his spy's whereabouts known and Van picked up a rock and threw it with precise aim into the bundle of leaves.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
Van heaved out a great big sigh as he recognised the voice emitted from the bush, he put away his sword and faced the mountain again, reassured there was no threat but annoyed to a point that he'd been followed after his precaution.  
  
"Merle" Van said, "Get out of that bush, now"  
  
With a flick of her tail Merle appeared out of the bush and promptly at her King's side, preening herself and eyeing his emotions at the same time, looking for hints of anger at her. She didn't like it when she made him angry.  
  
"I want you to go back to the castle Merle" Van said, his jaw muscles flexing, "It isn't safe for you here"  
  
Merle snorted "I've been in worse situations than this, and Hitomi is my friend too! After all, it wasn't as if you were secretive about leaving the castle"   
  
Van sighed, so his caution hadn't worked after all, the cat girl knew him too well. And he knew her well enough to realise that she wasn't going to back down either, and if she did supposedly go back to the castle then she'd only pop up again later in his quest.  
  
"Let's go then" he said and made for the rock, trying to find good footing  
  
Merle stared at his attempts then lightly skipped up and past him on the rock face, making it clear that she was a useful asset.  
  
Van groaned and pulled himself up to the next ledge.  
  
* * *  
  
"What?" Hitomi repeated, her heart thudding against her ribs   
  
"Mother must feed us…" the rotting creature repeated  
  
Hitomi felt sicker than she already was, gasping for breath she fought a series of dizzying thoughts that came to her head. The vision. Creation, mother? Was Folken saying…?  
  
"You created us" the creature gasped breathlessly, as if finishing her thoughts for her "Don't you remember? We are your children"  
  
"But…how?" Hitomi blurted  
  
The creature lolled on the floor, the rotting arm coiling like a snake as it replied slowly, "We are futures that were pulled out of existence" it paused "By mother"  
  
"Who is mother?" asked Hitomi fearfully, praying she didn't already know the answer  
  
"You"  
  
* * *  
  
"You're not needed!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Allen!" Mamoru burst into the conference room, his wooden practise sword finally replaced with a real piece of steel, given the situation, attained from Gaddes  
  
Allen looked up from the chair he was sitting in as he addressed his people and cocked his eyebrow at Mamoru questioningly.  
  
"I want to come with you! Gaddes said you were about to leave!" Mamrou said forcefully  
  
"Did he?" Allen eyed Gaddes before rolling his eyes as his commander shrugged him off, Allen stood up and faced Mamoru properly "I'm afraid it's too dangerous"  
  
Mamoru growled lowly "Hitomi" he said through gritted teeth "Is my sister"  
  
"And we're about to go and find her" Allen said firmly, "But you're too new to the sword, you don't know how to track, you're young and you don't know Gaea. You'd be at risk coming with us"  
  
"I don't care!" yelled Mamoru "Hitomi needs me! Her baby needs its uncle too! Allen…please" he said calmly "Hitomi said you know what it's like to have a sister in danger" he looked at Allen pleadingly "Please give me the chance to help mine"  
  
Allen thought carefully about this and decided that nothing was worse than a brother who knew his sister was in danger, from personal experience of course.  
  
He sighed heavily and sat down on a nearby chair, rubbing his forefinger and thumb together in thought, before reaching a decision. Standing up briskly he nodded and turned back to the map saying "We're setting out in half an hour, following the trail widely that Van and Merle followed. The team will spread out in a line, looking for anything ahead and on the ground to indicate their direction if we lose the trail"  
  
"Sir, what'll we do when we find them?" Gaddess asked  
  
Allen looked back at Mamoru, standing by the door clutching his sword like a lost soul, then back at the crew that consisted mainly of the Crusade men before saying "We do whatever it takes to bring them back"  
  
Mamoru grinned grimly and stepped aside to let half of the men pass to organise equipment and necessities that Allen barked at them. Mamoru felt a strange stirring in his young heart, a dangerous thrill that strung his nerves taught and made him sick with excitement.  
  
Stretching his fingers in the gauntlets he'd had to get someone to tie, he reflected on the feeling, resolving that this was what had changed Hitomi that day many months ago. The feel of danger that wasn't just normal, it was life threatening, someone could die before the night was over.  
  
And he hoped it wouldn't be him.  
  
Banishing the thought away, feeling heat rise over his face at such a selfish thought. When his sister was in danger! Merle and Van gone on their own after her, his sister could already be dead! As well as the baby inside of her!  
  
And he was thinking of HIS life?  
  
The young boy mentally punched himself, how low was he that he couldn't even protect his sister and his nephew or niece. Thanks to him the baby probably wouldn't even make it to life…  
  
"…here please"  
  
Mamoru jerked to look at Allen with a blundered "What?"  
  
Allen frowned "I said come here please, if you want to help then help, we'll be leaving in a minute and I don't want anyone in the dark on what we're about to do"  
  
Mamoru shoved everything into a box and put it away in his head, and walked calmly to the table.  
  
He surveyed Allen's map calmly, and looked up at the older men.  
  
"I'm ready"  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't understand!" Hitomi yelled suddenly "You make no sense whatsoever! Tell me what you mean"  
  
The thing smelled so badly her stomach was beginning to roll, she had no idea why her stomach wasn't in pain anymore but felt it wouldn't be good either. Hitomi clenched her fists and looked up into the beam of light, wishing it would swallow her to safety.  
  
The thing said something slowly and quietly.  
  
"What?" Hitomi whispered "Say that again…"  
  
"We are dead futures"  
  
Hitomi gasped, as it continued "You changed the future and made us useless, redundant. But we survived on the blood and flesh of a descendant of Atlantis"  
  
"No…" Hitomi blanched, an image of Folken sprang up in her mind as she remembered all the times she had changed fate through her visions and tarot card reading  
  
She HAD made them redundant, deleted them from would-be history as she made time and actions go along a new path. Almost falling to her knees as her strength dropped out of her, Hitomi gathered her wits and automatically reached for her pendant. It wasn't there, of course it wasn't, she'd given it to Van. It was no longer hers at all.  
  
"You ate Folken" Hitomi felt her stomach wretch "You…ate…him"  
  
"Yes" slithered the thing, a movement around her in the black of the cave made Hitomi's skin crawl, whispers and scuffles filling the void ahead "We ate him because some energy of Atlantis and it's people still remain in the blood of Draconians"   
  
Hitomi shook her head. It was all impossible, "Then…" she concluded "You want Van and my baby for…"  
  
"Existence" finished the thing, and as if boastful of its foul existence it brandished its rotten flesh arm out to grab for her ankle "The creator must provide"  
  
Hitomi yelped and dashed away to the opposite side of the pool of light as the stinking limb scraped the floor near her.  
  
"Never!" screamed Hitomi, "You're not supposed to be here! I don't care if you think I made you somehow! I could never EVER take credit for something as awful as you! I am NOT your creator I have nothing to do with you! I am not going to let you hurt Van on my baby!"  
  
The thing for the first time called its blood-curdling screech so loud Hitomi's vision ran wild as her head split. Falling to her knees she clutched her stomach, the dead future finally taking charge to get its wish fulfilled along with its brothers.  
  
How many dead futures were her doing? Her active doing? Was this a way they could repay her for killing them? They weren't even technically alive in the first place, how could they fight for survival they never even possessed?  
  
And Folken, poor Folken.  
  
It was her fault he never even had a proper burial…  
  
'Every future is goverened by strength of will'  
  
Hitomi felt these words pierce through her head splitting pain and looked up.  
  
The misshapen dead future lunged for her.  
  
* * * 


	14. Chapter 14

Man, I needed pep talk to write this chapter, unfortunately I had a confidence crash after the last chapter was posted and needed a jab of compliments from Maboroshitsuki to life me up again! Thank you dear, I really needed it!!   
  
So anyway, thanks for all your reviews, I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Well...most of you...sorry if it didn't suit you but you can safely be assume that I worried enough about it and decided to move on to the next part of the story.   
  
As for 'stealth ass' typo 0_o thanks to MaboroshiTsuki for pointing that one out! Although I did manage to have a major giggle over it! I went back and corrected it luckily, I hope it lightened the mood for you all even when it was there!  
  
What other notices, sorry I didn't email anyone about the updates of chapters, I forget -__-  
  
Man, I'm REALLY sorry it's taken so long for this chapter, I truly am, but I've had inspiration problems, school problems etc. So...yeah. Here you go.  
  
I can't imagine the amount of bloopers I must have had in this whole fic...  
  
And I'm not spelling realise wrong, I'm British and this is how we spell it ^_~  
  
SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THIS CHAPTER OUT, I'VE HAD A LOT OF STUFF TO DEAL WITH! A D in History for example. OK here we go, let's dive in straight away!  
  
Anyway the line 'this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine' is part of a song, can't remember the title though...but I don't own it!  
  
Oh crap...I have two History essays to do -_- GIVE ME STRENGTH PEOPLE  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne  
  
* * *  
  
Allen directed his troop of searchers out across the wood in a fan shape, shouting orders and generally making it know that if they didn't work faster he was going to make them do toilet duties for a week because 'every second they were wasting was another second that the King and his closest companions could be killed in'.  
  
Mamoru didn't find this reassuring, but the steel blade attacked to his belt was reassuring, despite it scraping along the ground as he walked. He didn't like being shouted at though.  
  
"Don't worry about it kid" Gaddess grinned, whispering quietly under the commanders yells in the moonlight "He does this to make us move faster, he won't actually do it" he paused "At least he never does it to me"  
  
Mamoru smiled, Gaddess was one of his favourite people so far that he'd met in this strange place, the man was remarkably grounded amongst all the strange antics of his home.  
  
Almost tripping over a root that was hidden amongst leaves, Mamoru turned back to his task, moving as swiftly as the grown men in the team through the undergrowth.  
  
They were covering ground fast as one of the Fanelian trackers pursued their quarry a short distance ahead and shouting back to Allen the direction and other information he could determine from the tracks on the ground.  
  
Mamoru was impressed, although it was somewhat dimmed by the task they were carrying out.  
  
He just hoped this tracker knew enough to find where Hitomi was.  
  
* * *   
  
"She's in labour you idiot"  
  
* * *  
  
"Lord Van!" Merle yelled, they were nearing a particularly wide outcrop of rock on the face of the hill, large enough to build a house on really  
  
Van pulled himself up onto it and yelled back down to Merle "What is it?"  
  
"I heard something!" Merle replied and flicked her ears around in all directions, sniffing the air, before turning back to him and saying "I definitely heard someone yell...and now that I think about it, I can smell Hitomi faintly. She's definitely been here" she wrinkled her nose "And that smell is here too, ugh, those freaky guys have defiantly been around"  
  
"What?" Van turned around, looking for anywhere close by that Merle could have heard something from, he had a faint glimmer of hope burning in his chest now and he wasn't going to be disappointed easily   
  
Merle danced on her small ledge of rock, still twitching her ears for sounds, before giving up for the moment and jumping up to the outcrop where Van stood. She strained her hearing again, but in vain.  
  
"Keep listening" Van ordered, "You never know, she might be yelling right now"  
  
"Right"  
  
* * *  
  
She was. At least, not just yelling, screaming her lungs out was more an accurate description of her current activities. The thing had lunged at her, pulling herself together out of the shock that had begun to weave into her muscles she dove.  
  
Hitting her stomach she twisted as the rotten arm lunged for her, the activity in the dark behind her was increasing, she could hear it, and the rustles and screeches were everywhere.   
  
Suddenly another arm shot out of the darkness and grabbed her wrist. This was bad. Two things were now holding her, and the one which had spoken was now pulling itself along to grab her other leg and pull itself to her stomach.  
  
What it would do...she had an idea.  
  
The hand holding her wrist was joined by another, her arms now pinned to the floor, useless, just like she was. Hitomi bit her lip, there was nothing else to do...  
  
"HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Give me the pendant!"  
  
* * *  
  
Allen shot his head up.   
  
That was a yell.  
  
A very close yell.  
  
His whole team had heard it too.  
  
"Hitomi!" Mamoru yelled, breaking line, he ran off through the trees ahead to where he had heard the noise  
  
"Mamoru!" Allen sprinted after the young boy, hair flying in a tight wave, he called back to Gaddes "Follow us!"  
  
* * *  
  
Hitomi screamed again, and again, the burning had returned. Her legs felt like they were on fire, and the baby was in distress. She could feel it writhing inside her as the rotten limb scraped along her skin, the other hands clamping her squeezing so hard she thought it would cut off blood.  
  
The baby was yelling, she could hear it in her head, it was hurting. She wanted to cradle it, to soothe it, but in a few moments it might be dead and she a long with it: the pain was too much.  
  
The creature, or whatever it was, was trying to rip her shirt open over her stomach, somehow Folken's metal arm was moving slowly towards the thing. How was it doing that?  
  
Hitomi tried to kick out again, regretting the effort as the pain doubled. She was going to die.  
  
This was it. Hitomi felt like crying but she wasn't going to, to tell the truth she was to scared to cry and in too much pain.  
  
The thing had the metal arm in it's grasp now, but she couldn't move, do anything to stop it, the metal claws shined maliciously.  
  
"HITOMI"  
  
Hitomi choked in surprise.  
  
No...it couldn't be.  
  
"Van?" she croaked, "VAN!"  
  
A new flame of resistance seemed to burst through her agony as the familiar voice filed her with hope. Maybe today was her lucky day after all.  
  
"Hitomi!"   
  
A rush of hair passed by her face as the thin whine of a sword loosened the bonds on her body. She didn't want to see what he'd done to free her. Momentarily recovering from her adventure with death, Hitomi felt herself being pulled up to Van's side.  
  
He was breathing heavily as he gasped "What the hell are those things?"  
  
Hitomi didn't care about crying now, she'd almost just died and so had her child, sobbing out "It's all my fault!" and trying to ignore the pain that her burns were causing her  
  
"What is?"  
  
Hitomi looked up at him, biting her lip "I created them"  
  
"What?" Van asked, then shoved her behind him "Not now, we have to get out of here" he looked up the shaft of light and yelled "MERLE?"  
  
"I'm here Lord Van!"  
  
"We need rope or something!"  
  
Hitomi looked around the cave, the noises and yells were so loud in the shadows as if the things were gathering strength for an attack, the flesh one was just slowly drawing itself together almost indignantly, as it clutched at sliced flesh that Van had obviously cut off to free her.  
  
Hitomi grabbed her mouth as bile threatened to rise. She was 15 why did she have to deal with this sort of stuff? She hoped Mamoru was ok...  
  
"Lord Van, I have no rope!" Merle was saying  
  
"Well find someone who does Merle!" Van hollered  
  
He stared at the disgusting creatures in horror, they were definitely going to try something but how could he stop them? And why did Hitomi say she created them?  
  
Hitomi herself wrapped her hand around Van's free hand as his other gripped the sword, and felt her knees were weak. She wouldn't be able to stand much longer.  
  
What could she do? They had one sword and Van was the only one fit to fight, where had he come from anyway?   
  
Something moving almost too quick for the eye flashed out of the darkness, hard to see what it was, but easy to guess. Van yelled and whacked whatever it was away.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Hitomi muttered fearfully "I really am useless..."  
  
Van didn't hear her otherwise he would have said something to comfort her, but he ignored it. Hitomi bit her lip, believing that the ignorance was his agreement with that fact.  
  
What to do, what to do, what to do? Hitomi racked her brains for a plan...  
  
'Every future is governed by strength of will'  
  
Hitomi stood quite still, as still as she could, a sense of malevolence was slowly filling the cave, and they didn't have much time before something happened. But she stood still to try and develop that thought. Folken had given her that thought, how could she use it? Visions weren't for nothing...  
  
Something flashed and caught her eye, blinking for a moment, Hitomi focused on the flash. Her pendant was swinging to and fro, to and fro, hanging out from Van's shirt, moving in its perfectly straight pattern to count each and every second.   
  
"Van give me the pendant" Hitomi yelled, pulling Van around and scrabbling to pull the stone off from around his neck  
  
"Hitomi" Van cried "What are you doing?"  
  
No time. Something big and black flew at them, hitting Van in the back so he fell forward and hit Hitomi too. Trying not to hurt her he threw himself sideways with the force and landed roughly on the floor.  
  
Wincing in pain Van pulled himself up and gripped his sword as another black shape screamed and flew at him, he swiped at it with his blade and it swung away.  
  
"Where are you Merle?" he shouted up to the hole as he dodged another shadow, standing over Hitomi protectively "Hitomi get up"  
  
Hitomi wasn't listening, the pendant had been jerked off in the force of Van being hit and Hitomi was cradling it in her palm softly and thinking as fast as she could.  
  
"I made these things" she whispered "Using this pendant and myself...I changed the future. I can undo this...'every future is governed by strength of will'. My strength of will" Hitomi nodded "If I wish hard enough maybe I can make them go"  
  
"Hitomi!" Van yelled "You need to get up"  
  
Hitomi ignored him, taking the pendant stone between her palms, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Thinking of her own will, how she'd changed the future and how she could free these things of their existence here and save her, her child and Van from destruction.  
  
"Please..." she whispered, "You are not needed. Leave"  
  
Something was tugging her mind, something was beginning to work. Yet it wasn't fast enough, it wasn't pulling itself out of her fast enough but she could fel something beginning to work.  
  
Opening her eyes a crack she glimpsed a red light, the pendant was glowing. The small distraction of seeing the light blew her concentration though, whatever had been stirring was now pulling away again, she couldn't catch it.  
  
It was gone.  
  
"No" Hitomi thumped the floor in frustration "I lost it"  
  
"What?"  
  
Hitomi looked up, Van was fiercely trying to whack black things away with his blade. He looked half dead, his face was grey and covered with sweat, and he had long burns up his arms where he'd been nicked by the shadows.  
  
Out of nowhere one of the dead creatures flew at his face, he couldn't dodge at all, Hitomi yelled and yanked Van down to the ground just as he his head seemed to be about taken off.  
  
He fell roughly next to her and gasped. He was almost completely tired out, Hitomi realised she had been trying longer than she had thought to get the things to disappear. How long had she been out?  
  
"Van?"  
  
Hitomi could hear the things rustling in the darkness once more, they were preparing to attack again...  
  
"Van"  
  
He looked at her, his ruby-brown eyes dull from tiredness, he grinned weakly "Yeah?"  
  
"Give me your hand"   
  
He did so, Hitomi wrapped the pendant in it and then out her own hands over the top.  
  
"This'll be just like dowsing" Hitomi said with a small smile "But instead of a pendant to find things in your mind, imagine the pendant is representative of the strength you protect people with and try and...I can't describeit...push it down your arm and to my hand, please? Try?"  
  
He nodded, looking a little apprehensive under his grey sheen, flicking his eyes around the dark he muttered "Merle better come back soon, we don't have much time..."  
  
* * *  
  
Allen froze, holding up his hand to the troops.  
  
They stopped, dead as night.  
  
Allen seemingly sniffed the air for some unknown assailant and signalled some more with his hand.  
  
Mamoru was oblivious to the hand signalling, whatever it meant he had no idea. Hence, he was still standing when the men had ducked and Gaddess had to pull him down after his own descent to the forest floor.  
  
The men around him drew steel and Mamoru followed, licking his lips which were stone dry. This was it, whatever was coming, he'd be ready. For Hitomi's sake.  
  
The shuffling and breaking of branches came closer and closer and closer. When would the enemy appear?  
  
Suddenly, from a long way down the line where Allen was, they heard him yell, a thrash through the undergrowth and a shrill scream let them know he'd caught something.  
  
Mamoru leapt up and dashed forward out of the line of men to see who the commander had caught, unfortunately all the other men had done the same. Growling in frustration, Mamoru pushed through the huge bodies to the front of the crowd where it seemed a row was going on.  
  
"What was that for? I'm on a mission here!" an annoyingly familiar voice rang  
  
"Look, we're being careful here, where's Van?" Allen replied tightly  
  
Merle suddenly panicked again and rushed out her story.  
  
Allen frowned and the yelled "Follow the girl" and bowed slightly to Merle "After you My Lady"  
  
Merle grinned, but still looked worried as she dashed off into the night. The men yelled a roar all together as they took off behind Allen. Mamoru took a deep breath and followed. They were getting somewhere.  
  
"Hold on Hitomi" he said  
  
* * *   
  
Hitomi could feel it working this time, Van's warmth, love, joy, sorrow all flooding down to her hand and she could imagine it glowing withal her strength. Ignoring the noises around them she concentrated on the little glowing light pulling itself away from her.  
  
Her will. She could change the future, she'd done it before.  
  
The baby kicked and Hitomi grinned inwardly, someone else was giving her strength as well.  
  
She thought of her will...she remembered a song that she'd heard on the radio once and mildly thought how it related to this situation... 'this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'...  
  
It was happening, the light was glowing, and Hitomi was so glad she had her baby and Van right next to her. She wasn't sure what was going to happen. She hped it would work.  
  
"Let's do this" she muttered  
  
Imagining the pendulum swing to and fro, she thought of wishing hard so many times the last time in Gaea, how it had felt, how she had felt, how it had happened. Imagining the necklace moving she began to mentally chant 'You are not needed, leave us be. You are not needed, leave us be. You are not needed, leave us be...'  
  
The light in her mind seemed to start rocking.  
  
'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'  
  
'You are not needed, leave us be'  
  
'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine'  
  
'You are not needed, leave us be'  
  
Van opened his eyes and saw Hitomi glowing faintly, the red light from what he assumed from the pendant pouring through their hands and back into Hitomi. She seemed to be chanting something under her breath but he couldn't hear it. He hoped he was doing enough...  
  
What strength did he have?  
  
An image of the Escaflowne popped into his mind and he frowned, that was his strength, a mental image of his strength was the picture he had of Escaflowne. Concentrating on that and trying to ignore the noises he thought about the battles he'd fought to protect people.  
  
Suddenly the pendant seemed to have all it needed and Hitomi stood up, dragging Van up with her. Not understanding how someone pregnant could stand up so quickly, he followed her dazedly. Feeling a warm tingling feeling running down his arms and into his chest Van saw the light from the pendant was seeping into him too.  
  
"What's going to happen?" he muttered   
  
His chest felt warm and it as he breathed he felt he could smell a warm summer breeze. It felt wonderful. Was this was love literally felt like?  
  
Hitomi slowly opened his eyes, van was taken back for a moment as they shone out bright pink...the colour faded and her green orbs were left.   
  
She smiled softly and whispered, "We've done it"  
  
The red light suddenly flew down their legs to their feet and outwards, the darkness was flooded across and upwards with pink light and warmness. The world was coloured in and Van couldn't see anything at all thorough the colour so he shut his eyes, wishing with all his might that it would work.  
  
Screams and yells and shrieks seemed to do nothing to his peaceful state of mind, the pink light seemed so beautiful he didn't care for anything while he was bathed in it.  
  
The things on the other hand sounded as if they were in agony. Part of him said 'good' but the other half didn't care.  
  
Suddenly he felt as if he'd gone deaf. Sound fell away from him all of sudden, opening his eyes he found himself no longer in the cave in the red light...but in a field of wild flowers.  
  
"Don't worry"  
  
He looked at Hitomi who was still in front of him.  
  
Hitomi looked...radiant. Her smile shone brightly and she took a deep breath "I think something is going to happen" she looked away over to the distance  
  
Van followed her gaze and found he was looking at a tiny pair of black wings on a hill in the distance of the meadow. He'd never forget those wings...  
  
"Folken," he breathed  
  
Hitomi squeezed his hand and brought his attention back to her "Thank you"  
  
Everything faded away again and he was brought back to his full state of consciousness in the cave.  
  
Just in time.  
  
Hitomi fell forward and against him, the pendant rolling across the floor as her palm loosened its hold. The light was gone and they were left in the pool of light again. Van hauled Hitomi up and supported her against him, feeling the bulge of her stomach buffet against him lightly as she drew deep breaths. He looked around, had they done it? He couldn't see a thing.  
  
But he could hear nothing that seemed to portray anything vicious.  
  
There was nothing else in the cave at all. He was sure.  
  
And that was a blessing.  
  
"LORD VAN"  
  
"Merle?" Van murmured, wondering if it was really her "MERLE!"  
  
"LORD VAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Merle yelled, he could see a silhouette cover the hole and then was followed by another, taller one  
  
"Is Hitomi there?"  
  
Van grinned "Allen! Yeah she's here, we're safe"  
  
He could almost feel the relief pouring down on them from above and the two figures calling to them.  
  
His feet felt cold.  
  
Looking down he frowned at a pool of water that seemed to have wet his boots all of a sudden. What was that? It looked sort of strange...there hadn't been water there before...  
  
"Hey" he heard Merle say to Allen, "You smell something? It smells almost like...oh no"  
  
"What?" Allen replied before calling out to the area above them "Are you getting that rope here or not? There might be more of the things around while you laze around up here"  
  
Van grinned and pondered his boots once more, shuffling his feet around a bit to test what the substance was.  
  
Hitomi grunted and then muttered "Ow..." in a rather surprised tone  
  
"Hitomi?" Van said, "Are you hurt? What's wrong?"  
  
She didn't reply, but squeezed his shirt and frowned.  
  
"Hitomi? What's the matter?" Van asked again  
  
"SHE'S IN LABOUR YOU IDIOT!" yelled Merle  
  
* * *  
  
Sorry that chapter was so short -_-' and after you waited so long! The next chapter will probably be a mini-one since I have a lack of time at the moment and it'll set up the two alternate endings! Review and be happy! This is not the end! 


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the long wait, I've been working on a pretty dark Teen Titans fan fic I want to post up when this story is done, it's pretty mature though, I'm worrying about it (I need Maboroshi Tsuki to proofread!) Anyway so look out for that if you're over say...15 yeah, it's probably the most mature thing I've written before. So, shameless plug aside let's get the show on the road.  
  
Anyway school and stuff has kept me busy and I've had a little writers block on this story too, but fear not! I will finish!  
  
OK, a little writers block, it's really big _ school is sucking up my inspiration and the problems with my website and everything...I haven't even watched Escaflowne for ages! Maybe that's what I need to get this going again. Please be patient with me! You guys are my pride!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, names, locations! So, yay!  
  
* * *  
  
"Pull them up now!" Allen yelled at his troops, who were patiently proceeding by tying the rope around a nearby tree, which had been hard to find on the rock face, and bracing themselves for a haul  
  
Allen shoved the rope down the hole, Merle and Mamoru gripping each other with nerves as they watched with sharp eyes.  
  
"Van, send Hitomi up first" Allen called into the pit  
  
"I know that!" came the flustered reply  
  
Allen felt a tug on the rope and signalled with his hand to his men across the rocks to begin their haul. It seemed to take forever to Mamoru as he watched foot by foot be tugged out of the darkness and about a century later he breathed a sigh of relief as a hand appeared out of the crater.  
  
Mamoru shoved Merle off him, who yelped, and rushed to Allen to help pull his heavily laden sister from the hole. They pulled until she was completely clear then Allen left her to Mamoru while he and the men got Van out.  
  
Hitomi was flushed and she grinned up at Mamoru as she knelt on the ground.  
  
Mamoru gaped.  
  
"You...you're huge" he gawked  
  
Hitomi had certainly grown, from having nothing a week ago to looking at full term it seemed incredible. He had no idea how it happened and didn't want to ask it now, his mind was simply boggled at the fact his sister looked pregnant and had actually gone into labour so soon.  
  
Hitomi frowned at him "Not my fault Mamoru, babies do this sort of thing to you"  
  
Mamoru blinked and nodded "Do you want me to do anything? Mrs Gable has crushed ice when she went into labour" he gushed  
  
Hitomi stared at him and said slowly "Mamoru, I probably have a few hours to go before I need ice...and where are you going to get ice around here anyway?" Hitomi grimaced as another contraction fleeted over her features  
  
Mamoru shook his head and went to help haul Van out of the hole, who's first action was to run over to Hitomi and ask the same sort of questions as Mamoru, with the same sort of answers.  
  
"Hey, we better get back to the castle" Merle snapped  
  
"Agreed" Hitomi nodded, relieved, she pushed herself off the ground, and much to the arguments of Allen and Van, proceeded to start to walk her way across the rocks and past the Crusade crew  
  
Van stared after Hitomi and turned to Allen with "Should she be doing that?"  
  
Allen shrugged and said, "I guess it'll help take her mind off the contractions" he turned to Mamoru and asked "You alright?"  
  
Mamoru shook his head and said, "My sister is going to have a baby" as if it had only just occurred to him  
  
Allen nodded briskly and jogged off after Hitomi, who had just decided perhaps she couldn't walk the whole way after all as another contraction pushed itself through her.  
  
Van blinked and muttered, "I'm going to be a father"  
  
* * *  
  
They hurried through the woods at an unbelievably fast pace, Hitomi being hauled along in the arms of Gaddess and yelping every so often. Merle jogging at her side trying to be comforting by spouting the stories for all the labours she'd witnessed, Van on the other side asking her if he could do anything and Mamoru running behind her asking what he was supposed to do.  
  
Allen kept away, sending messengers to the palace to let them know they were coming and directing his troops.  
  
Soon enough in the bright rising sun the castle appeared in view, and when they reached the edge of the forest one of the troop called out for assistance. Then they backed off while Hitomi's band and Allen continued into the inner courtyard amidst the men's cries of 'good luck' and jests about not working too hard.  
  
Once they'd entered the main courtyard there were yells out to them from the servants and soon they spotted a largish woman and a troop of maids jogging out of the hallways to stop and bow to their King.  
  
Van brushed them away and said "Don't bother, this is too important"  
  
They nodded and the large woman came up to Hitomi and couldn't help but express her surprise at the size of her when only two days ago the girl had hardly been showing.  
  
"My goodness what do they feed you on the Mystic Moon?" she chortled as Gaddess set Hitomi down onto her feet, grasping her arms to steady her  
  
Hitomi rolled her eyes and gasped again "Please can we get this done? I'm a little...pregnant"  
  
The brunette nodded and grinned, she'd obviously been through a lot of first births before and said "Hurry up then, we've set up in the King's chamber" she shot him a look "We assumed this would be alright?" he nodded "Good, come on then girl, the walk will ease the pains, but make sure not to push before we get there" the woman laughed at her own joke and hauled Hitomi off with a yell back to the others of "Merle you come, the rest of you...well, you're not needed yet"  
  
Merle stuck her tongue out at the group while she followed the hobbling Hitomi and her guardian, gleeful she was in on such a female event.  
  
Hitomi gritted her teethe on the stairs and gritted them even harder along the corridor to Van's room, it seemed as if she was about to fall with the pain but her legs just kept themselves going. All the films she'd seen had the women being zoomed around in wheelchairs, where was hers? She had to walk herself to the room!  
  
A pain shot through her and she gripped the midwife's arm in pain as she yelped.  
  
"Are you ok?" Merle asked from Hitomi's other side, with a worried glance  
  
They were just reaching his door and Merle opened it with a swift movement.  
  
"I'm just peachy" Hitomi grimaced, she held onto the doorframe a moment to rest before carrying on, "I'm 16 why is this happening to me? I should be running track, having my first dates and studying for exams! Not being a mother," she complained loudly   
  
Merle gave Hitomi a sly glance and said with a smirk "Education on the Mystic Moon must be bad if you didn't know what would happen"  
  
Hitomi whacked Merle on the back of the head with a light tap.  
  
The midwife brought Hitomi into the room and helped her to get up on the bed, strip down and replace her clothes with a cotton gown, and then said "Well I don't know about where you're from M'lady" she said folding up Hitomi's things and piling cushions up at one end of the bed "But I'm surprised you're on your FIRST child, I would have expected a young thing like yourself to be at least on her third"  
  
Hitomi gasped as a contraction came, blushed and said "Where I'm from I wouldn't even be thinking about children until I was at least in my late twenties"  
  
The other two gasped and both said "Twenties?"  
  
Merle blinked as she helped Hitomi get settled on the pillows and remarked "Well, you're carrying a KING'S child now Hitomi, no one would want to wait till they were twenty for THAT privilege"   
  
Hitomi groaned "You want this privilege, have it, I don't want it anymore"  
  
The midwife began resetting up things the healer's had brought in earliar, Hitomi noted the things she expected; bowl, kettle, blankets, fire stoked in corner. The midwife seemed confident but...she just didn't trust this setting. She'd rather have been in a sterilised hospital...did they even know if this room was clean for a baby?  
  
The midwife stood straight and tapped Hitomi's legs "Open up then"  
  
Hitomi stared at her "Excuse me?"  
  
"I need to see how long it'll be if you please" came the reply "I might have other things to do"  
  
Merle chuckled and said with a wicked grin "What's wrong Hitomi?"  
  
Hitomi glared and said quietly "Merle turn around"  
  
Merle pouted "Why? I want to see if the baby is coming" with the usual curiosity people grow up with for where babies come from  
  
Hitomi sighed and said "Please turn around, you'll have plenty of time to see a baby come later"  
  
Merle obeyed with mutterings.  
  
Hitomi bit her lip and did as the midwife instructed.  
  
"Well that is strange" the Midwife said "It seems as if it won't be long at all, you're nearly completely read, only a centimetre or two and you'll be all done"  
  
Hitomi gasped as a contraction came and went, and said roughly "'Won't be long' isn't soon enough"  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm sorry"  
  
* * *  
  
Van, Allen, Mamoru as well as the original and closest members of the Crusade team had been allocated the library to wait for news. People came and went though, they had chores to do after all, and the only people who never moved were Van and Mamoru. Mamoru had a short sleep on Van's cot but Van never moved from his chair.  
  
He heard footsteps out on the corridor, the door to his chamber opening and closing, people coming and going. Yells of bantering between the three voices he was concentrating on the most; Hitomi, Merle and the Midwife.   
  
His legs were shaking and he didn't trust his hands to take a sip to his dry mouth from the pitcher of water next to him on a table. He didn't want to look at a book or look out of the window, he just wanted to know something.  
  
They'd been back at the castle for an hour and a half at least.  
  
He couldn't stand it.  
  
He was going to be a father.  
  
A boy? A girl? A small heir to the throne he could hold in his arms.  
  
He wasn't old enough for this...he was in the middle of rebuilding his Kingdom, he was supposed to be pouring all his energy into this and now a baby? But his people would be please, even if it was from a union with a woman from the Mystic Moon. They wanted the throne secure after so many years of uncertainty and bad luck with his family.  
  
His feet jumped at the thought of it though: a little baby. All his and Hitomi's, he'd never even dared to hope for it. She'd gone back to Earth...and that had been it. What reason had he ever had to think she might return to him? He had her pendant after all.  
  
The pendant.  
  
Where was it? He grabbed at his shirt but couldn't find it there. Did Hitomi have it? No, she'd had it in her hand and he couldn't picture her with it after the strange light.  
  
He patted his pockets down and found a small lump in one of them. Glancing to see if Mamoru was still asleep, Van reached into his pocket and pulled out the small object.  
  
The ring. His ring to Hitomi. What was it doing in his pocket? If it was in his pocket then where was the pendant?  
  
In the cave.  
  
Van shook his head and pocketed the ring again. That pendant really did seem to have a mind of it's own. Why be left in a cave? He wasn't even sure if he remembered where the cave was, let alone find a small piece of jewellery in the dark.  
  
He smiled. Who needed it now? Hitomi didn't need it to dowse and obviously didn't need it to get to Gaea, and he didn't need it to dowse and had never used it to travel. It was just a symbol of his attachment to Hitomi, and now he had the ring for that. And who knew, maybe this time she'd...  
  
He shook his head, no time to think of that, he forced down the happiness that came when he thought of that.  
  
There was a yell that carried through the wall of the other room and the midwife popped her head in with a mutter of "Silly girl" she looked around and found Van on his chair, she smiled "She's gone into the final stages of labour, won't be long"  
  
She shut the door.  
  
Van sat stiffly in his chair. This was it.  
  
The other door to the room opened a crack and Allen slid through the hole, shutting it quietly as well. He found himself a seat and sat down, crossing his arms and nodding to Van.  
  
Van nodded back, he assumed Allen had a knack for getting the right moment. The Knight looked calm but Van noticed Allen's finger tapping briskly on his shirt sleeve. He was tired of waiting too.  
  
The activity in the other room was off-putting too, it was building and the excitement practically radiated through the wall itself.  
  
He sighed.  
  
He heard Hitomi's voice talking loudly and fast, but muffled as if through gritted teeth along with the occasional yell. Merle's voice was fast and hyped up, excited and it sounded as if she was the one Hitomi was counting on to help her with contractions because of her periodic 'meow's'. The midwife's murmurings on the other hand were all calm and she seemed to be doing her job. He was glad.  
  
His eyes were heavy. No sleep the night before seemed to be taking his toll on him no matter how excited he was, and the pallet looked VERY tempting, the pillow especially.  
  
He couldn't wait for the moment he could hold his baby and Hitomi together in his arms, it would be perfect, the sun shining, the smile that would light up her face as he told her he wanted to marry her...  
  
Van jerked up as someone touched his shoulder, Allen was standing over him, Van blinked and jumped up. He'd been asleep. How could he? He'd missed it all.  
  
He looked around at Mamoru and Allen, before finding the midwife was also int heir midst.  
  
"What?" he asked excitedly, "Is it done?"  
  
* * *  
  
MWUH HAH HA HA HA HA! Cliff-hanger! Anyway, this is the beginning of the split endings! Tee hee, you'll have to wait doubly long now T_T sorry! But this is how I'm doing it. Happy new year! 


	16. Ending ONE

OK, first and original ending! I thought I'd write this one first and THEN let you guys read the happy one ^_^ just to make you feel better. Just be glad there IS a happy one because you know, until someone convinced me I was going to leave it all death, destruction etc. etc. So anyway, here we go, first ending, please go on and review the next ending after this one!  
  
Can you believe we're almost at the end?  
  
About Van flying out of the cave, I never thought of that! Wow! Cool! Anyway, also about my grammar, I've never been very good at this sort of thing ;_; please forgive me! I always thought I used too many commas! I'll try to do better!  
  
Hope I can write this chapter ok for you all! Thanks for reading this so far, I love you guys, this is my most reviewed story...ever! Wow, thank you so much! We've been going for a few months now haven't we? Please support me to the end!  
  
Anyway I also completely have lost track of whether it is day or night in Gaea and Fanelia now so bare with me! I'm just gonna guess :P  
  
PLEASE READ BOTH ENDINGS!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any Escaflowne characters but the characters created by me, for example, the maids and the black faceless people things are my invention. Lyrics of Yubiwa translated by Takayama Miyuki and found on animelyrics.com but I've used them in conversation so you might not be able to locate them. Also used the translated lyrics of 'kuuki to hoshi' again! Thanks to all you wonderful translators of animelyrics.com you've made my life wonderful ^__^  
  
* * *  
  
"Is it done?" Van asked again, his stomach turning over, he looked at the group expectantly  
  
No one said anything. He looked at each of them, confused, to find only Allen returned his glance. Van suddenly felt his stomach drop out of his body and a roaring begin to fill his ears.  
  
"My Lord" the midwife said slowly, she looked ashen "I'm afraid, things didn't quite go as planned" she gripped her hands and looked at the floor  
  
"What does that mean?" Mamoru gripped Allen's shirt "Hitomi's alright isn't she?"  
  
Allen didn't reply.  
  
"There was a problem with the birth my Lord" the midwife continued softly "The wings you see, made it awkward to remove the baby and..." she stopped and took a breath "There was a choice that had to be made and quickly. Lady Hitomi made it..." she stopped and looked up at her King  
  
Van swallowed "The baby is alive isn't it?" he asked fearfully  
  
The woman nodded and then her composure began to drop as she got out "You have a healthy baby girl my Lord, but the lady gave herself for it" a sob escaped her throat, cutting the silence in the room like a knife  
  
Van's stomach revolted and the roaring in his ears covered all sounds but the words "...won't survive the night" he collapsed into the chair he had slept in and tried to take it in, his breathing laboured and harsh  
  
Mamoru collapsed onto Allen's arm, the Knight allowing the boy who looked smaller than ever to wrap his arms around him and sob into his blue jacket. Allen himself stared ahead, grey, his jaws clenched together.   
  
The midwife left, unable to hold herself together.  
  
Van could feel nothing, his feet numb but somehow he stood up again, pushing against the nearby table.   
  
He looked at Mamoru "Don't cry" he said softly  
  
Mamoru heard nothing, grief swallowing him whole and drowning him in tears, his only sister in the world was being dragged away from him.   
  
Van faced the door to his chamber as if going through it would mean it was true, she was dying. Going through would confirm. He looked at Allen, the Knight saw nothing, only the wall in front of him and his thoughts.  
  
Van took a few deep breaths and put his hand on the door handle, pushing it gently. Merle nearly ran like a cannonball into him on her way out, flooded with tears, blindly escaping the atmosphere of death that was beginning to fall on the room that had been supposed to bring new life into the world. He let her go.  
  
He shut the door behind him and looked around him, the midwife had drawn the curtains and sticks on candles were dotted around everywhere. Van stared at the floor, he just couldn't look at her. Not yet.  
  
Instead he looked up and traced the grains of wood along the floor slowly, up to where the bottom of the bed was, then up the boards to the blanket. Then he swept his eyes up the bed to where she was.  
  
Hitomi was propped up in the bed, holding a small bundle of blankets to her, her eyes were close and she looked pale and clammy.  
  
Yet she'd never looked more beautiful to Van; a mother with her newborn child's glow would never fail to knock him off his feet.  
  
Noticing someone in the room Hitomi propped a heavy eyelid open and looked at him across the room. She said nothing but smiled a small smile and motioned for him to come forward. He did so and stopped next to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, she passed the bundle to him.  
  
Van looked down into the most perfect face he had ever encountered in all his years. A small, perfectly proportioned being was sleeping quietly, a small snuffling the only indication this tiny child was something more than a doll. His daughter. HIS daughter. She was so beautiful.  
  
"What shall we call her?" a croak brought him back to reality  
  
He looked at Hitomi, smiling earnestly through her tired eyes, trying to put the best face on. For him it was worse than seeing her sickly and weeping. Van bit his lip to stop a sob rising. He couldn't appear weak to her, no, never to her, he was her rock.   
  
He managed a watery smile and said "Mekenna"  
  
Hitomi frowned "Mekenna?" testing the strange words on her tongue "What does it mean?"  
  
"She's the heroine of a folk tale, a girl who fights off a dragon and becomes a hero" Van smiled bitterly, feeling finally a lone tear slid down his cheek, he scrubbed at it violently "Why did you do it?"  
  
Hitomi looked away and whispered, "When you gave me a smile as we parted, it was your message for me to truly live with all my heart" she looked at him, her lip shaking "This is what I call living with my heart" she reached up to wipe another tear away from Van's cheeks as he tried to keep a stony exterior "Giving myself for our child, I can't imagine living for anything more and since I caused all the trouble in the first place..."  
  
Van shrugged off her hand and stared at her "What about me?"  
  
Hitomi sighed, she was collapsed against the pillows, gasping lightly, exhausted. Van didn't care, he had to know why she was leaving him.  
  
"I've lived for you Van every single second of my life, even before I knew you I was giving everything for you. I just didn't realise it before I met you" she looked at him and then at Mekenna in his arms "She will give you more happiness than I ever could" Hitomi bit her lip "She is everything I ever wanted you to have in that small bundle. Mekenna is my gift to you Van"  
  
Van didn't feel better, he put Mekenna gently into a small cradle placed near the bed and climbed up onto the bed. He looked into Hitomi's eyes earnestly before kissing her fiercely on the lips.  
  
Hitomi let him before pushing him away gently, he was crying.  
  
"I don't want it, I want you" Van protested softly, his voice cracking as his eyes leaked  
  
Hitomi sobbed out "You can't have everything you want"  
  
He wrapped his arms around her, surprised at how weak she was that she couldn't do anything to stop him, she was fading away.  
  
"Please don't leave me" he cried "Not now, not after we have each other again, don't leave me"  
  
Hitomi blinked and wrapped her arms around him too, drawing him down into an embrace on the bed, she still had a bit of time left to cradle him, and she wasn't going to waste it.  
  
"Van" she whispered softly into his ear, "I'm scared, I know this is the right thing to do but I'm terrified"  
  
Van blinked and got into a more comfortable position on the bed, sitting on top of the covers and holding her in an easier way before replying, "I'm not going anywhere"  
  
Hitomi took a short breath and whispered, "You'll tell her about me won't you?"  
  
Van blinked and replied "Of course. I'll tell her everything" he felt himself bite the inside of his cheek  
  
Hitomi didn't mind crying, her eyes were red and puffy now "I don't mind if you marry someone else"  
  
Van started and said firmly "I'm not ever going to marry someone else" he pulled off the pendant from his neck and slid the ring off, placing it firmly on her finger "Never"  
  
Hitomi smiled weakly and replied, "It's ok Van...I...don't mind, really. You're so young and it'd be...such a shame..." she felt tired "And you might fall in love, marry a Queen, and have a proper heir to the Kingdom" she paused "I'm not really Queen material"  
  
"You'd be a wonderful Queen" Van pressed, gripping her hand tightly and smelling her hair under his chin as much as he could, trying to imprint the fragrance and the feel of her in his arms onto his memory  
  
"But as long as you remember me" Hitomi whispered "I just want you to be...happy...and our baby is so beautiful" she leant into him more closely and said "I wonder what Mamoru will do, tell him I don't mind if he marries Merle"  
  
Van frowned "You're going to see Mamoru, you can tell him yourself"  
  
Hitomi smiled weakly and said, "I love him so much, and my family, I love them all..."  
  
They sat in silence, both sniffing and trying to remember every detail about the other firmly in their heads. Mekenna made no sound and they forgot she was there, too wrapped up in themselves and their sorrow to remember...  
  
"Van" Hitomi whispered after a while  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where will I go?"  
  
"Go?"  
  
"When I...die. Is there anywhere?"  
  
"Of course" Van replied "You'll go to the most beautiful field of flowers imaginable"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Hitomi's voice was nothing more than a murmur "Tell me about it"  
  
Van thought for a moment and said "Well, it's always summer. But not the really hot summers, it's a perfect day so you can walk around barefoot in summer clothes without burning or feeling too hot. And there's a light breeze that blows the flowers in the field in waves, like multicoloured water" he felt awful, his heart felt as if it was being wrenched away with wherever she was going "Everyone is there, you'll see your grandparents and great-grandparents and everyone goes there..."  
  
He must have talked for hours, he thought up every thing lovely and beautiful he could think of and threw it all together in a mixture of what he knew would be there for her. It had to be there, heaven was everything good in one place. No one was scared or hurt or sad, it was perfect.  
  
"Will you go there?"  
  
Her voice was like the breath of wind that knocks the final autumn leaf off the branch before winter.  
  
Van swallowed "I'll go there, I'll come to you one day Hitomi"  
  
He knew she couldn't hear him anymore, but he didn't move.   
  
He held on to her gently as his eyes leaked and he ran the story of heaven through his head again and again as he felt her go cold in his arms. The woman he loved had gone from his reach forever. He'd never see her again...  
  
In the middle of his grieving a siren sounded out.  
  
Carefully extracting himself from his love's arms he climbed off the bed to discover Mekenna screaming in the cradle, as if she too were mourning. Van wiped his eyes but couldn't help a sob that choked him. He walked around to the cradle and picked up the small baby.  
  
She was wrinkled and red, hardly a royal Princess. He inspected the bundle and pulled out a feather from the bottom of the blanket. The baby stopped yelling so loudly and looked in a dazed way at her father. So it had been hurting her.  
  
Van looked at her and wiped his eyes again.  
  
Her gift to him...  
  
"Well" he said quietly "I guess it's just you and me now" he turned around and looked at his bed, she only looked as if she was sleeping  
  
Van felt his gut wrench and he turned away, he had to tell the others. But not just yet. Pulling a chair up to the bed he sat down and held the baby, rocking her slowly, and humming the song that Hitomi had sung only a day or so ago, remembering her every move and realising, this baby needed him now.   
  
The gift of life that Hitomi had given him was to keep him from taking his own, had she done it on purpose? He would never know, but he did know one thing; he would never, ever stop loving her.  
  
"Yes" he told the baby firmly "I'm going to go to her, not now. You need me"  
  
He looked at the bed again.  
  
"But one day"  
  
* * *  
  
An undescribable world, a blue and clear light  
  
Everything is delicate like glitter and  
  
What is truly precious  
  
Is unrecognized by anyone and  
  
Is small if taken in the hand and  
  
Is lost and then fades away  
  
Why is it so  
  
If within this expanse  
  
It is the more beautiful things that break most easily  
  
Rescue me   
  
If you are to change into a spirit  
  
Take me away with you  
  
I don sorrow  
  
Like feathers and am sent flying away  
  
Air and stars  
  
To a land so pure and unknown to anyone  
  
Where only such fleeting things gather  
  
* * * 


	17. Ending TWO alternate

Happy Ending   
  
Van stood up and blinked, how long had he been asleep? It seemed like he'd only just closed his eyes. He looked around the room expectantly at the faces of the occupiers. Mamoru seemed to be gleeful and was bouncing on his feet impatiently while Allen just seemed his usual serene self. The midwife looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.   
  
"Well?" he asked, his voice betraying his hope "What happened?"   
  
The Midwife grinned wolfishly "You have a bouncing baby girl My Lord. She and the mother are doing fine, they did remarkably well between them. We weren't sure if there weren't going to be any complications, wings aren't exactly easy to give birth to" she smiled wryly "But they're both well, just tired" she bowed and left the room excusing herself from intruding on the group anymore   
  
Allen smiled and came forward, he shook Van's hand firmly, nodding approvingly and said "Congratulations Van, but I do not expect to be asked to baby sit you understand" he began to back away "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tell Celena the news and see how she is doing, congratulations again Van" he excited swiftly, his hair billowing behind him   
  
Van was dazed. A baby! A girl! He blinked and tried to clear his head. How could this have thrown him, had he even ever paid attention to the fact Hitomi was really going to have his baby? If he had how could he feel so...overwhelmed? He surely would have been prepared for the bubble that seemed to be blowing up in him! He hadn't felt so joyful since...he could not remember.   
  
Mamoru bounced on the spot suddenly "I'm an uncle! I have got to tell...someone" he stood in the spot and jiggled for a moment, unsure of whether to bow like the others or just to run since he knew nothing of the codes of conduct on Gaea, finally deciding on a course of action he said "Van" in a business like tone and bounced off into the hallway, as if he was floating on air and not running along wood   
  
Van smiled at the now empty room and couldn't believe the people knew how to exit so smartly and not seem like they were really leaving him alone with his new family.   
  
Van stopped.   
  
His new family.   
  
The word sounded so strange on his tongue. He had a new family, for such a long time Merle had been his only family and now in the space of a week he was given two new family members. Three if he counted Mamoru as his...brother in law.   
  
Van looked toward the door that lead into his bedroom and a shiver went down his spine. Was he nervous? A baby girl and the woman he loved. What if he couldn't live up to their expectations as a father? He stood a moment, undecided, then swallowed and made himself go to the door.   
  
Turning the handle of the door was positively the hardest thing he had done in his life. Yet he did it, swallowing again to try and clear his throat and steady what he thought would be a cracking voice, he entered.   
  
"Hello?" he called uncertainly, cursing himself for such a feeble way to enter his daughter's life   
  
"Hello" a croak came back, tired but content   
  
Van almost melted in happiness at the sound and came further into the room to view his bed and it's occupants. Hitomi grinned weakly at him, her hair still damp with sweat and her eyes bright and shiny; she had never looked more beautiful. The small bundle she held in her arms seemed heavier than he had expected and Van hurried forward to take it from her, she gave it up gladly and smiled at him gratefully.   
  
"I didn't know she'd be so heavy for such a small thing," Hitomi admitted, lying back on the pillows fully with a heartfelt sigh "She's so beautiful"   
  
Van inspected the small bundle carefully. The small face almost hidden from view snuffled loudly and he frowned, she certainly was small. Somehow she wasn't the grandure he'd expected from a princess...but her nails were perfect, her face was perfect. And he knew that one day she would be the most beautiful woman in the world. She was wonderful and Hitomi was right, she was beautiful.   
  
"Just like her mother then" Van grinned, and instantly looked away, embarrassed at the comment even if they were the only two there. Three he corrected himself.   
  
Hitomi laughed tiredly and said "Don't be so embarrassed Van, if you can tell anyone they look good after 7 hours of labour then you're in the good book with me"   
  
Van sat on the edge of the bed and adjusted his hold on the bundle; he'd have to practise holding it.   
  
"What shall we call her?" hitomi's voice brought his attention back to her "I can't really go on calling her 'baby'"   
  
Van thought for a moment and announced "Mekenna"   
  
Hitomi stared "Mekenna?" she blinked "Is that even a name?"   
  
Van frowned "She's the heroine of an old Fanelian folk tale. She was a Shepherd on the mountains and fought off a dragon using only her slingshot. Fanelia's people were so amazed that she was the first and only female in our history to be Knighted and spent the rest of her days in honour. Although...she stayed a shepherd for the rest of her days because that is what made her happy"   
  
"Really?"   
  
"I don't think you could actually do that though, she was probably eaten in real life, but you know how stories are" Van grinned   
  
Hitomi giggled tiredly, smothered a yawn, and replied, "Still, it's a nice story"   
  
"You choose her middle name" Van said, studying his new Mekenna   
  
"OK" Hitomi thought, considered her choice again, and said, "I don't think she needs one. Mekenna is so grand that the Princess of Fanelia will never need another introduction"   
  
Van smiled and bent forward, kissing Hitomi on the cheek, he said, "Would you like to consider my offer of marriage again Lady Kanzaki?" and with one arm pulled out the pendant chain   
  
Hitomi stared and said quietly "Well give my the baby...I mean, Mekenna"   
  
Van passed the small bundle over with care and undid the clasp of the pendant, he slid off the ring and then did the pendant up again, lying it on the bed. He inspected the band of gold again and, deciding it was perfect, got off the bed and knelt by the bed.   
  
"Hitomi" he said quietly "You are no longer the girl that came here, frightened and unsure, you have grown into the woman that I see before me; beautiful, strong, the mother of my child. I have been in love with you for what seems like an eternity, and I would be honoured if you would accept me as your" he swallowed "husband"   
  
Hitomi smiled and muttered "You're such a fool"   
  
Van started "What?"   
  
"I said you're such a fool! Of course I'll marry you!" Hitomi yelled, and smiled   
  
Van felt the bubble he had felt earlier swell and swell until he felt his chest would burst with happiness. He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Hitomi and squeezed her tight. They would be together for as long as they lived, he couldn't imagine anything better.   
  
As if uncomfortable with all the love in the room Mekenna began to yell, after being squashed between her parents for too long. Van and Hitomi jumped apart and laughed, finally acting their young ages.   
  
Hitomi got through the giggles and the yell of her baby "I have no idea what to do with her!"   
  
Van smiled and said, "I'll ask the midwife to come up and tell you what's what, it's a baby, how hard can it be?"   
  
Hitomi rolled her eyes and muttered, "Man, I knew you were a fool"   
  
Van shrugged and said "Hey, the more a couple fights they say, the more they're in love"   
  
Hitomi began to rock the baby and threw a pillow at her husband-to-be "Go get the midwife now!"   
  
Van darted towards the door "But you will marry me?"   
  
"Yes, yes, now get the woman! I think my ear drums are about to burst!"   
  
Van exited the door and left the cries of his daughter far down the hall, it sounded like music to him. He stopped for a moment and got a hold of himself, his joy was too much for him, he felt about to laugh out loud. He was engaged AND a father!   
  
He looked out of the window across his country.   
  
No matter what, he had to do his best from now on, trying wasn't good enough, he had to succeed. Looking out across his city Van made himself a promise, he would make Hitomi happy, he would make his daughter happy, he would do the best by his country and be a just a good King. It was his duty now.   
  
Van smiled, at the moment, duty felt as if it was the best thing in the world.   
  
He looked down the hall and took a deep breath...   
  
...and took his first step into the future. 


	18. Author's Notes

Well another fic come and gone. It seemed like only yesterday that I began to write this story, my first escaflowne story. And possibly my most successful story. I hope you all enjoyed it and had a good time with me, I really enjoyed reading all the feedback you've given me, you've been so supportive and just so...wonderful  
  
Thank you all for reading this humble story.  
  
Please continue to read fanfiction!  
  
Thankyou in particular Maboroshi no Tsuki for just...EVERYTHING! And all you people who have reviewed and been here since chapter one. And all you people who jumped on the train as we went along!  
  
I hope I have fulfilled you with my two endings and if I endeavour on a new escaflowne fanfic you will read it ^_^ I hope it'll be good enough for everyone!  
  
Thankyou for everything over the period it took to keep this story going, I'm sorry it took so long to write it, I've had writers block, exams, homework. The works! It's finished though! Thankyou!  
  
Thankyou everyone!  
  
See you soon!  
  
^___^  
  
dillpops  
  
X X X 


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